After The Fire
by TheLostFoodie
Summary: Lauren & Chief Bo are back and things are getting hot! Set 3 yrs. after the fire & 1 yr. after Charlotte's birth, Lauren and Bo's lives have continued forward together and temperatures are rising! Obstacles, undercover work, a new patient, and a wee bit of drama bring all the old characters together again for this "Beyond the Flame" sequel.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: Hey friends! It feels like it has been forever! Oh wait...LOL...So please thank Patriotsgirl011 for this actually getting posted :) It's not done just yet, so new chapters will be a few weeks apart. Hope you all can be a bit patient! But I sincerely hope you all enjoy "After the Fire" - the sequel to "Beyond the Flame"..._

 _So if you happened upon this story and have not read "Beyond the Flame" some parts of this may not make sense. I encourage you to read that one first if you have not already._

xxxx Chapter 1

 _One year after Charlotte's birth; three years after the fire_

The early summer months greeted the city with an unexpected heat wave: one eerily reminiscent of three years prior, when record high temperatures seemed to surpass prior set highs on a weekly basis. Day time heat was downright oppressive. Staying cool and remaining indoors became a focus for many urban dwellers. And just like three years prior, Lauren Lewis felt grateful that she had chosen a night shift career at the hospital. At least nightfall brought with it a tempered heat that she could tolerate.

Exiting the hospital's main entrance, Lauren glanced at her watch. It was six in the morning, and the early sunrise began its daily routine of blanketing the city with bright rays to match the sweltering humidity. Just stepping outside of the hospital for a few minutes seemed beyond bearable, and the walk to her car had the doctor near meltdown before her hand connected with the door handle.

Beads of sweat lined the back of Lauren's neck as she climbed into the driver's seat and put the key in the ignition. Not a minute later, Lauren had the air conditioning blasting a flow of cool air directly on her face. The light weight hospital scrubs allowed her to cool off quickly, but Lauren never once adjusted the temperature away from the coldest setting available.

Buckled in and wearing her aviators, Lauren shifted the car into reverse and backed out of her parking space. She was keenly aware of the time and navigated the vehicle out of the parking garage quickly. Lauren kept the same quick pace steering through the city streets, taking every alley and shortcut she had learned from spending a lifetime in this city.

Lauren's original plan including leaving work no later than five am that morning, but a busy night anchored her to the hospital until six am. This one hour delay did not completely ruin the plans she had in mind for this special day, but it did require her to hustle. She did not allow the minor setback to dampen her mood though, but instead, she simply recalculated routes and timing to maximize efficiency for the morning drive.

Morning traffic was just starting to build as Lauren made her way from the hospital to a nearby local diner; her first stop on an already blinding hot day. She drove the BMW around the corner and cut into the parking lot without regard for the white painted lines on the pavement. Avoiding other vehicles and saving precious minutes, Lauren halted the car right outside the diner's front door. She activated the hazard lights, climbed out of her shiny, flashy car and slammed the door closed without a care that she was technically parked in a "no parking" zone.

Not outside but for a few seconds and the warm morning air caused perspiration to form on the back of her neck again. She moved quickly; Lauren's short strides led her inside the sparsely occupied diner. Fortunately the cool air inside enveloped her the moment she entered the diner, giving way to an appreciation of a technology mostly taken granted nowadays. The quick change in temperature allowed her a more relaxed breath, one that also brought with it the welcoming scent of bacon filling the space around her. It triggered Lauren's stomach to growl.

"Morning Doctor Lewis. Your order is all ready to go."

Whether her hospital scrubs gave away her identity or her frequent prior visits had allowed the employees to recognize her by sight did not matter. What mattered was that Lauren's pre-scheduled breakfast order was ready, which equated to less time delayed from her intended plans. That in itself was worth the hearty tip she planned to leave.

Lauren glanced at the old fashioned analog wall clock hanging above the register. It was already six twenty two am. Lauren quickly calculated the math in her head: Bo would leave the fire station by seven, and that left the doctor very little time to get across town: thirty eight minutes to be precise.

A quick exchange of to-go bags, a smile and payment with that large tip kept Lauren in the diner for a very short period of time. Despite the large awkward shaped bags now in hand, Lauren hustled out of the diner before carefully opening the car door and carefully placing the packaged food on the car's back seat. Not thirty seconds later, Lauren resumed her position in the driver's seat, started the car and immediately soaked in the colder air once again blasting through the vents.

Lauren maneuvered through side streets efficiently. She passed by all the familiar buildings and signs that were not items she evened cared to pay any attention. Having driven this path so many times before, Lauren had memorized anything interesting on the route quite some time ago. Besides, looking away from the road would only serve as another potential delay in her morning. She didn't even allow her thoughts to drift over a review of her work night, instead choosing to keep her focus on the road and her intended destination. In her mind, distraction was simply not an option this morning.

That focus kept Lauren on track and not a handful of minutes later, Lauren finally crossed through town. With a heavy foot, Lauren turned off the main road and drove her car into the parking lot situated behind Fire Station 55.

It was six forty seven a.m.

Thirteen minutes to spare put a smile on Lauren's face. She pulled the BMW into an empty parking space. A quick glance out the car window afforded her a view of Bo's pristine Camaro parked in the spot next to her. Lauren sighed as her smile grew wider. Several memories flooded the doctor's mind. She never would forget the first time Bo took her out in the Camaro, and she would always remember the first time Bo let her drive it. And while Lauren almost allowed her mind to drift over memories of several other firsts involving that particular vehicle, her determination to make her morning plan successful stopped those thoughts from formulating any further. Instead, with the car in park and the air conditioning keeping the blonde cool, Lauren slid off her sunglasses and flipped down the visor. She checked her makeup when an intense wave of butterflies fluttered through her chest. She placed her open palm against her heart as if willing it to slow down just a bit.

Lauren stared with pure joy at her own reflection in the visor's mirror. Her eyes sparkled because of Bo, and her smile remained a little wider because of Bo. Lauren happily fell into this love three years ago, and they had built a wonderful life together every day since. While the passing of time brought a more settled, secure blanket to the relationship, the comfort of establishment did nothing to stop the excitement Lauren still felt when anticipating Bo's presence. Further fueling Lauren's excitement was the fact that Bo knew nothing of Lauren's visit this morning. She pictured the smile she would see on the Fire Chief's face and her heart immediately began to race again. All the slow breaths in the world would not slow her heart one bit.

Comfortable with her appearance even after a long night of work, Lauren flipped closed the visor, shut off the vehicle's ignition, grabbed the oversized plastic bags of food containers from the back seat, and walked quickly across the sweltering parking lot. The morning sun glared off the spotless windows affixed to Station 55 and radiated heat off the blacktop below. More heat: outside a fire station, no less. Lauren shook her head and smiled. The irony was definitely not lost upon her.

With a balanced hand, Lauren managed to ease the fire station door open while still grasping the large bags. She nudged the heavy metal door fully open with a bump of her hip and maneuvered inside. The cool air within wrapped around her, and Lauren did not hide the audible sigh from the relief. Even her shoulders lowered as she stood immediately inside the door to simply enjoy the cooler air. With a glance around the room, Lauren recognized a mix of fire fighters in the midst of the morning shift change.

Her presence didn't deter the fire fighters from their morning chatter either. Lauren knew almost every one of the fire fighters at Station 55, and her presence was not uncommon enough to warrant excessive attention. At minimum, the men were always polite to Lauren with a cordial hello. She attributed that to the fact that her partner was their boss and the men did have manners, not to mention none of them wanted assigned to truck waxing duty for bad behavior.

There were moments however, like this one, when Lauren's presence caught their attention. The stares weren't caused due to Lauren wearing medical scrubs or that her smile was evident, but simply because the bags held tightly in her grip were huge and appeared awkward and bulky. Couple that with curiosity on their contents, and firefighters from around the room were quick to greet her. A mix of their booming voices echoed their morning greetings to Lauren, with one voice standing out above all the rest.

"Morning, Doctor Lewis! Can I help you with those?"

Lauren glanced over the many faces nearby, catching the approaching figure of fire fighter Ryan Lambert. He was dressed in his standard issue uniform pants and shirt, although the dirt smeared across his upper arm and shoulder confirmed what Lauren already knew: he was at the end of his shift.

He marched toward her from the direction of a very shiny fire truck, offering Lauren a smile as he arrived at her side. He instantly grabbed hold of the bags, relieving Lauren of the heavy contents.

"Morning Ryan. Thank you."

Having two free hands, Lauren adjusted her purse over her shoulder as Ryan peeked in the top of the bags.

"Whatcha bringing the Chief?"

Lauren smiled. She appreciated his assumption that the contents of those bags was for Bo. It wouldn't have been the first time Lauren brought Bo something to the station. But as part of Lauren's plan, nothing in those bags was for Bo.

Her smile stretched further as Lauren nodded toward the main room.

"There is absolutely nothing in those bags for the chief, but follow me and you shall find out what I'm bringing you guys."

Lauren tugged open the nearby doors leading away from the truck garage and into the common room full of tables and chairs. Ryan stepped through the doorway behind Lauren, and several other fire fighters who had noticed the mystery bags followed.

Lauren glanced around the room once looking for Bo, but the only individuals around were men.

"Doctor Lewis, is this what I think it is?"

Ryan carefully placed the bags on a nearby table, still peeking in the tops of them while trying to figure out what was inside while losing grip on the last of his manners as the aromas of food began to capture his sense of smell and in turn, all of his attention.

Lauren pointed to the bags Ryan had placed on the table and then pointed at all the guys now waiting patiently to see what was in the bags.

"Those are for you guys. Hot breakfasts. Enjoy."

Lauren's simple statement brought several other fire fighters toward her as Ryan began pulling boxes from the bags.

"Oooh, breakfast! Sweet!"

Lauren smiled to the other guys now looking over Ryan's shoulder.

"I should warn you: those are all high protein breakfasts. Sorry guys, no pastries, per Chief's request."

Lauren followed her admission of following Bo's directive with a laugh. The fire fighters' laughter mixed with hers, bouncing off the concrete walls. Every one of them had heard Chief's requests more than once: no more junk food.

Truthfully it wasn't really a request. Bo had been adamant about the team sticking to a healthier eating plan, and Lauren certainly did not want to contribute to their growing waistlines and slower response times. Not surprisingly, the fire fighters were very aware of Bo's thoughts on the matter and refrained from complaining to Lauren. While the men loved pastries, they were still very excited to receive a surprise breakfast delivery.

Their gratitude and thanks were spoken repeatedly as bags were torn open and styrofoam breakfast boxes were passed around. The news of food quickly spread to the others in the station, just like the delivery of any type of food at all. Lauren honestly didn't bring them a meal that often, but when she did, Bo's team was always grateful.

Lauren's smile never faded even when their vocal appreciation was silenced by mouthfuls of food. Quietly Lauren recognized that the guys shoveled forks full of eggs like they had not eaten in days. It was only in that initial wave of silence that Bo pushed open the doors from the opposite side of the room. The creaking sound from the hinge caught Lauren's attention. She looked over her shoulder and that is when Bo came into her line of sight for the first time that morning.

Her gaze shifted from happy fire fighters to a very happy Fire Chief. The sight of Bo in her perfectly pressed attire took Lauren's breath away. Yes she saw it every night when Bo got dressed, and every morning when Bo returned home, but seeing the brunette wearing it while standing in the fire station took Lauren's appreciation of it to a completely higher level.

Rather than ask about the commotion, Bo simply glanced around the room and absorbed the sight. Hungry fire fighters tearing through "to go" boxes immediately advised Bo that Lauren brought a surprise for the team today. She directed her attention to Lauren and held it on the blonde as she crossed the room.

Bo's smile said it all. Her eyes lingered over Lauren, standing confidently in the middle of her team of fire fighters. She was not expecting Lauren's appearance at all, but it was an appearance of which Bo would never tire. Dressed in a clean pair of hospital scrubs and a pair of converse sneakers, Lauren was every bit the stunning blonde bombshell dressed in the comforts of work attire. Bo never met another woman who could look so sexy no matter what clothes she wore until Lauren Lewis entered her life.

Lauren felt Bo's gaze burning through her as the brunette walked toward her. It gave rise to a heat inside the doctor that she had barely managed to cool down during her ride to the station. Watching Bo saunter across the room, Lauren smoothed her palms over her scrubs. It was an old nervous habit Lauren had shed years ago, except in moments when her anticipation far outweighed her outward composure.

Bo's paces stopped only when she stood facing Lauren.

"Lauren, what a surprise. I wasn't expecting you this morning."

Lauren tilted her head slightly while her smile grew even bigger. She said nothing, fearing her own voice would crack and give away the rest of her planned surprise.

Bo glanced away from Lauren momentarily, absorbing the sight of fire fighters shoveling forkfuls of breakfast in their mouths.

"Breakfast this time?" Bo asked as she returned her gaze to Lauren.

The chief raised her brows and smiled. It had been a few months since Lauren showed up at the station unannounced with food. Her curiosity over the doctor's reasoning brewed quickly.

Lauren adjusted her purse again and nodded to Bo's posed question.

"Yes, but high protein only. No pastries," Lauren replied.

"Yeah no pastries Chief! But this is sooo good!" Fire fighter Sanders managed to mumble his statement clear enough to bring laughter from everyone nearby. Bo laughed with them. She knew the fire fighters hated her healthy diet initiative, but this morning none of them seemed to mind. The men continued stuffing their faces with food as Bo replied to Lauren.

"Well that was very thoughtful. You know you don't have to bring them breakfast."

"Yes she does!" Lambert yelled.

Lauren blushed. While she was happy the guys appreciated the breakfast so much, the breakfast was not the reason for her arrival at the station. There was a significance to her visit today, of all days, that she was sure no one else knew. Even Bo. Bringing food was just a part of the visit. The overarching reason for her presence had yet to be revealed.

Lauren shifted her eyes away from Bo and back again. This time she replied with a much quieter voice.

"I wanted to bring them something, and I felt like seven am is a bit too early for cupcakes."

Lauren winked at Bo and waited to see if Bo put together the few pieces of the puzzle that the doctor had dangled. She knew Bo was still trying to decipher the reason for her presence when the chief formed a curious expression.

Bo glanced at her watch. It was seven am, but cupcakes? Bo's mind reeled with questions, but she had yet to read between the lines.

"Early for cupcakes? Yes. Plus those would count as pastries."

Lauren nodded but never replied. She swallowed hard but her mouth was dry. There was a quiet moment of intense connection between them, not that anyone else noticed. The others were simply too busy enjoying breakfast.

When Lauren didn't reply, Bo decided a quieter space may be better suited to discuss whatever was on the doctor's mind. Without taking her eyes from Lauren, Bo pointed over her shoulder.

"Well I was just getting ready to pack up and head home."

While the fire fighters focused their attention to the food in hand, Lauren kept her eyes trained on Bo. She admired every thread of the uniform, and she certainly admired what lie shielded beneath it. Crisp lines still held their own even after a full shift, polished shoes reflected the ceiling lights brilliantly, and even the collar to Bo's shirt maintained its crease to perfection. Lauren's wandering gaze absorbed the sight before her, trailing from head to toe and back again while she appreciated Bo standing tall and proud amongst a sea of fire fighters. If Lauren ever had the desire to shred Bo's uniform with her bare hands, this was certainly the moment.

Without alluding to her building desires, Lauren maintained a calm outward posture. She barely shifted her stance from one foot to the other as she stared at the love of her life. Despite her efforts, Lauren's attempt at remaining calm was too perfect, and that in itself revealed far too much about what was racing though Lauren's mind.

The fire chief knew Lauren too well to miss the doctor's nonverbal cues: her slightly parted lips, her curious gaze, and her fingers threaded together to avoid any nervous hand gestures. Bo's curled lip and wink were quickly followed by an almost unrecognizable nod in the direction of her office. It was an invitation Lauren would never turn down.

With patient steps, Lauren followed Bo across the room to the double doors through which Bo had entered. Lauren purposely forced her eyes to refrain from traveling over Bo's backside despite her appreciation of the view. Fortunately they reached the doors quickly and Bo signaled Lauren to walk through first.

The doctor crossed through the doorway, smiling and offering a nod of her own as thanks for the chivalrous gesture. Her pulse escalated again but she refused to turn around. It was Lauren's silent determination to maintain some semblance of control and outward self-confidence for as long as she possibly could. Even her walk possessed a slight sway in her hips, just barely enough for Bo to recognize as she trailed behind Lauren.

Following the familiar path down the fire station hall, Lauren arrived at Bo's office door. It was open and she did not hesitate to walk inside. The tiny window unit air conditioner was blowing a stream of cold air into the room, providing a brief chill to help temper the heat that had been growing again since Lauren arrived at the fire station. She inhaled and exhaled slow deep breaths, hoping to channel the cool air through her lungs to reign in the fire building inside. Only when Lauren heard the door close behind her did she mentally admit all the cold air in the world would never tame her desires. That responsibility lie solely with the woman standing behind her.

Without turning around, Lauren smiled as she caught sight of the framed photos on the wall. Gone were the muscle cars photographs that previously decorated the Fire Chief's office, now replaced with several framed photos of their family.

There was a picture of Bo and Lauren dressed in their respective uniforms during Halloween last year. Only the pumpkins in the background made it look different from any other typical work day. There was also a picture of the two of them with their daughter Charlotte on the day she was born. Kenzi had snapped the picture of a very tired Lauren and a very excited Bo holding Charlotte a few hours after she was born. Despite being critical of her own appearance in the picture, Lauren still adored it immensely. Centered between those photos was Lauren's favorite picture of their daughter: Charlotte cheerfully smiling with her tiny hands grasping a toy fire truck while wearing a toy stethoscope around her neck. That picture was but a few weeks old and somehow Bo had taken it at just the right moment with Charlotte sitting by her toy box. Lauren had a copy of that same photo at her office as well.

Lauren's focus on the photos waned the moment Bo's hands fell upon her hips from behind. Despite wanting to keep her collected outward appearance, Lauren could not hide the sharp intake of air from Bo's touch. Just that breath triggered Bo's hands to tighten their grip. It took all of Lauren's control to not fold into the chief's arms.

Lauren shifted her feet and slowly turned around to face Bo. She tossed her purse aside but never hid her smile or her appreciation of their closeness. The doctor slid her hands over Bo's shoulders, smoothing out the uniform that still did not have one wrinkle on it. She admired the fire fighter embroidered emblems on Bo's crisp white button shirt before she trailed her eyes over Bo's chest. Her gaze lingered a moment before finally returning to Bo's face.

"Good morning, Chief Dennis."

Lauren's voice was but a whisper, almost inaudible over the loud hum from the air conditioner. Her tone had dropped a full octave since standing in the presence of the other fire fighters. It was not intentional, but a slight nervousness had crept into her confidence and threatened to reveal far too much, far too soon.

Bo instantly took notice. The fire chief snaked her hands further around Lauren's waist and pulled her closer but kept the smallest airspace between them. The soft hospital scrubs were but a thin barrier keeping her hands from Lauren's softer skin. Bo bit her lower lip as she smiled before offering her reply.

"Good morning to you, Doctor Lewis."

Bo's tone had also dropped, and Lauren smiled knowing that always happened when Bo had one thing on her mind. It was definitely the same thing Lauren had on hers.

The doctor slipped her hands further over Bo's shoulders, loosing draping her arms around Bo's neck. She shifted her gaze from Bo's eyes to her full lips, losing all coherent thought as she tried desperately to maintain the teasing pace she had set since arriving in the fire station.

Bo cleared her throat intentionally and Lauren quickly raised her line of sight.

"Lauren, I know that look."

Lauren felt the pink creeping across her cheeks.

"Oh, do you?"

Bo nodded. "Yes, and I certainly know what it means."

Lauren lightly brushed her fingertips along the back of Bo's neck, sending the fire chief squirming with her own building desire. The blonde leaned closer to Bo, hovering a breath away before kissing the brunette's cheek.

One kiss to Bo's neck and the brunette closed her eyes.

Two kisses higher along her soft skin and Bo deeply inhaled.

Three kisses that led Lauren's lips to the edge of Bo's jaw and the fire chief's muscles tightened. Her muscles tightened everywhere.

Bo's grip fixed on Lauren's waist as she expelled her held breath. The slow, methodical kissing covering her flesh turned her on, and Bo wanted nothing more than to capture Lauren's lips with her own. Quickly, the chief turned her head toward Lauren but the doctor pulled away quickly.

"Uh, uh, uh," Lauren replied.

Lauren smirked, pulling a conceding laugh from Bo. In stolen private moments like this, Lauren liked to have the upper hand. It was a familiar, playful approach of which Bo had become accustomed. Rather than say anything, Bo simply turned her head away again, giving Lauren full access to her exposed neckline. Lauren did not hesitate. She continued placing kisses over Bo's jaw and cheek. Each perfectly placed kiss stimulated Bo's senses and directed her thoughts to nothing but desires for the one woman standing before her.

Lauren's patience guided her lips back down Bo's neck; as low as the starched collar would allow. Bo exhaled deeply again, carrying forth an audible sigh that traveled through Lauren's ears and directly to her heart. The doctor loved that sound. It was a familiar note that triggered Lauren's previously slow paced motions to escalate and reveal the significance of her presence.

Lauren playfully nipped at Bo's neck one more time before finding the strength to lean back slightly, reestablishing that pocket of air between them. The small separation gave Lauren just enough calm and self-control to state her intentions for this early morning visit.

Lauren stared into Bo's eyes. She saw the hunger Bo held for her. It was the same hunger Lauren recognized all those years ago when they first connected like this, and that spark had not dwindled since.

With confidence, Lauren took one calming breath and offered a provocative smile to Bo before speaking.

"Three years ago, today, I first walked into this fire station and kissed you in this very office."

Those simple spoken words softened Bo's expression from hungry desire to pure love and adoration. Bo's brow rose slightly and her lips parted. Her eyes widened as a deluge of memories filled Bo's mind. Her heart jumped at the memory as her emotions swirled further with each passing second. Not a moment of that interaction was ever forgotten. Bo's heart beat hastened, and her brilliant smile told Lauren that she remembered that very moment as if it were yesterday.

Lauren continued.

"And as you probably recall, three years ago today after I kissed you, I boldly propositioned you to come home with me."

Bo's laughter joined Lauren's as they both remembered, quite well, that moment when Lauren's seductive attempt failed miserably. They had barely known more than each other's names when Lauren spoke that very forward phrase that Bo declined. But they both also remembered Bo's decline of such an invitation wasn't because the fire chief didn't want to go home with her, but merely because she had work obligations that Bo could not ignore.

Bo nodded slightly as her laughter faded. "Yes I do remember that very well, Lauren."

Lauren adjusted her arms resting on Bo's shoulders slightly as she licked her lips. Lauren's confidence soared.

"In hind sight, I realize that proposition was not the best approach. However, in the past three years, I've learned a lot about how to approach you, Bo."

Bo narrowed her brow as curiosity began to build. Playfully, she flexed her palms against Lauren's hips and replied.

"Oh, have you? Would you please share what you have learned about approaching me, Doctor Lewis?"

Lauren's line of sight dropped back to Bo's lips again. The reflection of the ceiling light fixture glistened perfectly on Bo's moistened lips, driving Lauren to lean forward toward the Fire Chief. She quickly returned her view to Bo's eyes, who had caught her staring but said nothing of it.

"Well, I've learned that when you say no pastries, you mean no pastries."

"Very good," Bo replied with a laugh.

Lauren shifted her hands away from Bo's neck. She brushed her palms along Bo's shoulders before tightening her grip snugly.

"I have also learned that you love your career, and that being a Fire Chief isn't just a job for you. It is very much a major component of your life and of your identity."

Bo nodded. She could not deny that Lauren was right on both counts.

"Again, very accurate," Bo whispered.

Lauren gazed into Bo's dark brown eyes. The tension between them crackled; a testament to the connectivity both women shared with the other.

"I also learned that you are the most committed, wonderful, loving partner, and you are a devoted, protective mother who fiercely loves our family."

That statement pushed Bo to stand a little taller as her pride came forth. Her heart pounded now, a mix of desire and love manifesting physically and triggering a multitude of physical responses. Her mouth felt dry and the words that followed were spoken a bit softer.

"Yes, you are also correct on that count as well," Bo replied.

Lauren's smile widened. "And so in learning these things about you, I have realized that there is a right way to proposition you to come home with me."

Bo's happy expression quickly shifted to surprise. Lauren had her moments when she raised the bar and pushed Bo's buttons in new ways. This direct statement was certainly one of those moments. Bo's mouth opened to reply, but no words followed.

Lauren continued. "What I have learned is that, if I arrive here ten minutes before the end of your shift when you have no work responsibilities, and I have a babysitter fully aware that we are not to be disturbed when we arrive home this morning, then my chances of you accepting such a proposition increase ten-fold."

Bo remained quiet but her expression said it all. Lauren was right. She did learn quite a bit about Bo over the past three years, and if there was ever a way to get Bo to say yes to such a proposition, this was certainly a very effective method to deploy.

Lauren leaned toward Bo again, this time her lips on a direct path to connect with Bo's until she stopped shy the smallest of airspace between them. Lauren's heart was racing. Three years into a relationship and standing this close to Bo still pushed Lauren's libido to the stars.

"Come home with me."

Lauren's whispered words mirrored the same proposition she offered three years ago. She waited for Bo's reply as she felt the brunette's hands slip under the hem of her scrub shirt.

She didn't have to wait long.

"I don't know if I can wait until we get home."

Bo's words barely escaped her lips before a reenacted first kiss occurred. Unlike the slower, more deliberate pace held three years ago, this kiss connected the women with a bruising, explosive need.

Lauren's breathing ceased momentarily as she funneled her focus on the soft lips pressed against her own; on the strong hands sliding over her skin while shoving aside her shirt; on the moan that lingered in Bo's throat. Her proposition may have been for Bo to come home with her, but the sudden burst of desire electrifying the air around insisted they make use of Bo's private office before ever stepping foot out of Fire Station 55.

Lauren never denied she was any type of match for Bo's physical strength, and the fire chief proved it when she took one step into Lauren, effectively sending the doctor one step back. The edge of the desk met the back of Lauren's thighs, triggering the blonde's grip on Bo's shirt collar to shift immediately to the top button. Then to the next. And then to the next after that. Quick nimble fingers threaded buttons through shirt holes one by one to release Bo from that wrinkle free shirt. Lauren held focus until the last button was undone, despite the intoxicating arousal from Bo's teeth biting at Lauren's neck. With eyes closed, Lauren finally allowed a deep exhale and a sigh to follow as a current of sexual craving flowed through every nerve fiber in her body.

Lauren's scrub shirt was pulled over her head quickly, and Bo shed Lauren's bra before the doctor's lips found Bo's again. Three years of kissing the same woman never dulled, and moments when impatience flared still challenged the doctor between fighting for control and just giving in to Bo's flawless touch.

Fiercely, Lauren shoved Bo's open shirt over her shoulders and tugged it away. Her hands sought out the clasp on Bo's bra and instantly unhooked it with expert precision. The heat radiating off Bo's body melded with Lauren's as hastened movements pushed both women closer to the other.

Needy hands sought out the naked skin within reach as their kisses maintained their hungry connection. Skin against skin stimulated their mutual arousal, but Lauren was the first to vocalize her wants and needs in between hungry kisses.

"Is there anything breakable on this desk?"

Her words were breathy but well understood. Bo answered by lifting Lauren off the ground and seating her on the edge of the small piece of wooden furniture. Lauren's hands threaded into Bo's hair as the chief shifted her lips down Lauren's neck. The chief's hands reached around Lauren and quickly swiped the desk's surface with her outstretched arms, sending most small objects sailing to the floor.

Lauren appreciated all of Bo's sides as a lover: that included her aggressive side. Clearing her desk with one solid swipe turned Lauren on more than she could admit, but her own tightened grasp to Bo's hair surely told the brunette what the doctor never said aloud.

Bo's mouth traveled lower yet, and Lauren quickly tugged Bo against her as she felt Bo's ravenous lips take hold of her breast. Lauren's head lulled back as she took the waves of guiltless pleasure as they flowed over her. Lauren kicked her converse shoes off, sending them to the floor with one thud followed by another. Her breathing now shallow and speckled with moans, Lauren wrapped one leg around Bo and pulled her closer yet.

Bo answered by shifting her lips to Lauren's again. The familiar dance of traded kisses and eager caresses kept their ultimate goal delayed a bit, but neither woman complained. The privacy of Bo's locked office incited their desires. Lauren took Bo's breasts into her hands and teased them playfully, knowing each passing second pushed their arousal a little higher; the stakes of a more explosive orgasm a little more probable.

With Bo's strength on display again, the Chief leaned Lauren back with ease. Instinctively Lauren reached behind her, one palm connecting with the desk surface to hold her up slightly. Her other hand gripped Bo's shoulder as their lips separated and provided them another small space in which to connect visually with one another.

Bo's deep brown eyes exposed her deepest, truest feelings for Lauren. In just that glimpse, the doctor saw it all: love, lust, respect, admiration, desire, attraction, devotion and affection. Lauren pulled slow, calming breaths for a beat as she absorbed the weight of her own feelings for Bo. Three years of unyielding love had not extinguished the flames between them. Even as parents with a focus on raising their daughter now, the couple never relented their longing for the other.

Bo saw the same in Lauren. She held that pause as long as the doctor dictated it so. Leaning over the blonde nearly pressed flat on top of the chief's wooden desk, Bo hovered patiently with one strong arm wrapped around Lauren and the other braced against the desk for support. She returned the gaze to Lauren, knowing the moment they resumed movement would bring about a quick crest to their escalating advances. Her wandering eyes scanned over Lauren's partially exposed body, and the Chief didn't hide the smile that formed as she trailed her eyes over Lauren's naked upper body.

Lauren slid one hand under Bo's chin and lifted slightly, redirecting the chief's gaze back to her eyes. Bo smiled and Lauren quickly matched it.

"How have we never had sex on this desk yet?"

Bo's smile grew wider at Lauren's question. She shook her head and shrugged.

"I say sex on this desk is long overdue. Wouldn't you agree?"

Lauren's response was a nonverbal nod, and Bo's fluid movements had slipped Lauren's scrub pants and panties down in less than three breaths. It certainly was well past time to christen that desk, and fortune smiled upon them that morning as the next uninterrupted thirty minutes gave them a new found appreciation for sturdy, office furniture. The hum of the small air conditioner was nowhere near loud enough to mask Lauren's moans as Bo entered her, but she did her best to cover her own mouth and hold back the loudest of her vocalized enjoyment.

Bo's familiarity with Lauren's body allowed her to trigger the doctor's orgasm at will, knowing the exact responses she would pull from Lauren with each and every calculated touch. She did not draw it out as she typically would have, aware they would reconnect multiple times over with ample time for slow intentions once they were home in the comforts of their king size bed.

Lauren never needed to indicate a lack of patience either, for just the slight tilt of her head was all the request Bo needed. It was in that moment that Bo's touch provoked Lauren's muscles to tighten around her fingers. The doctor's bucking hips kept pace with the chief's movements until she could not physically exert any additional strength to hold herself up any longer.

Happily resolved to collapse, Lauren's back finally pressed the full length of the desk as she whispered sweet, appreciative words under her breath to the woman who just took her to the moon and back.

Awash in an enraptured haze, Lauren reached blindly for Bo. She was floating far too high to open her eyes, but Lauren did manage to catch Bo's wrist and tug the Chief closer.

Still standing alongside the desk, Bo followed Lauren's tug and shifted her feet one step to the right. She pulled Lauren's hand to her lips and placed gentle kisses over the doctor's palm and the back of her hand. Bo stared happily at her love-intoxicated partner, waiting patiently for Lauren to regain her composure.

The blonde's smile appeared before her eyes ever opened, but when they did, she caught the sight of a very proud, half naked Fire Chief staring down at her. Lauren fixated on Bo's exposed curves, her perfect breasts and strong upper body muscles covered by the softest skin. Lauren licked her lips intentionally as she admired the view.

Bo noticed.

"See something you like?" Bo asked.

There was no need to answer the rhetorical question. Rather than fill the time with any more whispered words, Lauren pushed herself upright and swung her legs off the desk. Completely naked, perched upon Bo's desk and the Fire Chief half naked before her, Lauren saw so many things that she liked. The doctor reached for Bo's belt, slipping the buttery soft leather out of the silver clasp. She kept her eyes fixed on Bo's as her fingers unbuttoned the brunette's pants and lowered the zipper. The act forced Bo to hold her breath which she quickly released as Lauren buried her hand inside Bo's perfectly pressed pants.

Determined to give Bo a taste of what was in store for her when they finally made it home, Lauren wrapped her free arm around Bo and tightened her grip. Rhythmic strokes from Lauren's fingers inside Bo's pants matched the swipes of her tongue against Bo's nipple.

Held firmly in Lauren's grasp, Bo wrapped her arms around Lauren and allowed the doctor to control the tempo from that moment on. The Chief fought to keep her eyes open but the sensations flooding her senses had other ideas, and the weight of her eyelids kept her eyes shut as Lauren mapped Bo's favorite path to her own explosive orgasm. Bo slid her hands from Lauren's shoulders to the back of her head, soaring through her climax with both hands buried in Lauren's soft blonde hair.

The euphoric frenzy weakened her knees exponentially. Even the strength of a Fire Chief lapsed at the hands of a talented blonde doctor, and it took the remainder of Bo's resolve to barely maintain an upright position. Long, quiet minutes passed from that moment on as Bo used all her remaining strength to simply stand within Lauren's comforting arms.

Their hungry, needy coupling came to a close at the fire station that morning, but their morning was far from over. They shared several more kisses and quite a few laughs at their behavior before pausing their escapades to re-dress. Lauren never allowed Bo to see her giggle when she realized Bo's shirt was now full of wrinkles. And like two teenagers sneaking around after prom, Lauren and Bo avoided every fire fighter in the building as they finally made their way out of the station and in to the parking lot.

The morning sun radiated off the concrete as they walked to their cars, pushing temperatures higher yet. Hands remained clasped in the other's hold as they strolled side by side, only to be released when their steps halted in between the BMW and the Camaro.

Lauren offered a pleasant smile and a wink as Bo released her grip on the doctor's hand. The Chief reached for the door handle to the Camaro, but Lauren's extended arm held the door closed.

Bo glanced over Lauren as the doctor stepped into her personal space.

The blonde brushed her lips over Bo's ear once, placing a telling kiss before delivering that same proposition she had first offered three years ago.

"Come home with me," Lauren whispered.

The repeated invitation was certainly one the Fire Chief would never turn down ever again. She smiled and placed the gentlest of kisses to Lauren's cheek before the doctor took one step back and waited for Bo's reply.

Three years after Lauren first asked it, Bo finally replied with the answer she had hoped to hear the first time.

"Absolutely."

xxx

xxx

 _Hope you liked this warm up chapter to get us back in to the world of Lauren and Chief Bo. Like it at all? If so, stick around for more! Thanks for your reviews!_

 _*I don't own the characters. I just created the story, not the characters in it*_


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's note: Hey thanks for coming back for more! Sorry this chapter is a mix of too many things, but oh well. Hope you enjoy it, and thanks for being patient!_

 _xxxxxx_

 _Later that month_

The aroma emanating from the barbeque grill filled Bo's senses with delight. She checked her watch once more before flipping open the lid. The instant wave of heat radiated across her face, causing a trickle of sweat to form across her forehead. With care to avoid burning herself, Bo pried open one foil pouch and peered inside, checking on the progress. Of course, the food was just not ready yet.

Quickly Bo folded the pouch closed again, creating a seal to help steam the contents within. She quickly closed the grill lid again before swiping the back of her hand across her face to stop the sweat from running down her cheek. With a glance to the night sky, Bo laughed quietly at the irony of the moment. Even with the sun tucked away for the night and Bo at home rather than fighting a fire during work, the heat from the grill was still making her sweat.

Bo grabbed the dirty, empty plate and walked across the back patio of her home. She crossed through the sliding glass doors to return to the cool interior. The air conditioned space gave her lungs a break; breathing the air inside simply felt easier than sucking in all that hot air filling the night time air outside.

Lauren was sitting on the living room floor with their daughter crawling all over her lap. The two were giggling about something as they were engaged in some version of peek-a-boo. Every time Lauren moved her hands away from her face, Charlotte's laughter grew louder.

Bo smiled heavily as she appreciated the sight. She really did love her family fiercely, and those two lovelies occupying the space nearby fit the very definition of family. Her partner and her daughter. There was simply nothing in this world Bo would not do for them. Nothing.

"We still have another ten minutes to go until the salmon and vegetables are ready," Bo announced as she tossed the used serving plate in the kitchen sink.

Lauren stood up from the carpeted floor, scooping Charlotte into her arms. She followed Bo into the kitchen and placed a thankful kiss to the brunette's cheek while the Fire Chief washed her hands.

"Thank you hon. I appreciate you entertaining my late night craving for grilled food."

Bo smiled as she graciously received both the kiss and the thanks from Lauren. Yes, Lauren may have been the one to suggest having a late dinner on the grill, but Bo was the first to jump at the idea and fire it up. That back patio and the oversized steel grill occupying it was one of her favorite spaces to spend time. She was more than happy to show off her grilling skills anytime it was requested, even at this hour. Bo took a quick glance to the wall clock nearby before smiling at her partner and her daughter by her side.

"You're certainly welcome. But speaking of late night, it is way past Charlotte's bed time."

Bo washed away all the soap from her hands and shut off the running faucet. Lauren promptly handed her a towel to dry her hands while snuggling Charlotte with one arm like a seasoned parent. Lauren furrowed her brow as she replied.

"I know, but she's so happy to see her mamas. I sometimes think our night shift work is going to cause major problems with her sleep patterns."

Bo dried her hands as she made silly faces at the wide eyed little girl.

"She always sleeps well when Cassie is here. I mean, we are her parents and yet she only sleeps when the babysitter is here. I don't get it. I hope this isn't teenage rebellion starting before she's two years old."

Lauren bounced Charlotte in her arms and nodded.

"I don't get it either. I'm just glad Cassie is here more often than not."

"You and me both," Bo agreed.

Cassie did maintain a frequent presence in their home since Charlotte was born. As many new parents do, both Bo and Lauren took time away from work to spend at home with their newborn in the days after Charlotte's birth. Those days quickly turned to weeks and returning to work appeared fast on the horizon. Neither woman had wanted to leave Charlotte with strangers at a unknown childcare center, but both women had known getting back to work was the right thing for them both. It took some late night, lengthy discussions but eventually Lauren and Bo mutually agreed upon home childcare while Charlotte was young. The biggest obstacle at that point became finding the right individual to trust with their daughter.

The vetting and hiring process was something Lauren would rather forget, but fortunately Bo had worked tirelessly through a professional agency for such a need. She reviewed well over one hundred possible full time nannies until Bo secured the one that eased their initial worries and jived extremely well with Charlotte.

It wasn't easy to leave their daughter in the care of another, but Cassie was a natural with the little one, and her credentials eased Lauren's mind enough to take that first step back to work. Couple that with the fact that Cassie was a part time student working toward becoming a paramedic, and Lauren quickly embraced their decision.

Cassie wowed them in the first few months, seamlessly moving Charlotte through a more routine daily and nightly schedule. She balanced time extremely well, even when Lauren and Bo both arrived home late from work on multiple mornings. With Lauren and Bo enjoying their night shift careers, Bo and Lauren relied on Cassie greatly. Fortunately, Cassie was the best sitter either of them could have ever wanted. She had not only become an asset with Charlotte but an extension of their family.

While Cassie may have been a natural with children, Bo and Lauren were still navigating the early years of parenthood. They struggled to get Charlotte to sleep at a reasonable hour on many of their days off work, and it probably didn't help that they liked when Charlotte was awake at night because it afforded them more time with their daughter. Neither woman could deny their appreciation for such.

Bo smiled as she thought that this was yet another late night keeping Charlotte awake. She hung the towel back on the cupboard handle and made one more silly face at their daughter. The little one rubbed her eyes and buried her face in Lauren's shoulder, instantly prompting Lauren to snuggle Charlotte closer. Both Bo and Lauren smiled to one another as they shared this simple but happy moment together.

"I'm going to lay her down and see if sleep is in the cards for her. Meet you outside?" Lauren whispered.

Bo nodded but refrained from speaking, fearful that any further conversation may bring Charlotte's drooping eyelids to widen again. Bo stood in the kitchen for another moment, watching Lauren walk toward Charlotte's bedroom. Charlotte had not lifted her head from Lauren' shoulder as they rounded the corner down the hallway. That was a hopeful sign that sleep was definitely in the cards for the little one.

Bo glanced at her watch, calculating minutes to ensure the proper length of grilling time. Carefully, she pulled a clean plate from the cupboard before quietly crossing through the kitchen and living room to return to the back patio and resume grill duties.

She closed the sliding glass doors quietly behind her as she stepped outside. Bo immediately missed the cool air conditioning inside their home, but the smell of grilled salmon with a mango and pineapple marinade made standing in the warm summer night air worth every second. As she walked toward the grill, Bo glanced to the night sky. The giant oversized evergreen trees surrounding the front and west side of their property blocked part of the moon from sight. All the birds were silent at this hour, but several crickets were echoing across the lawn like a full symphony. It was simply another relaxing moment that Bo appreciated beyond words.

After lifting the lid on the grill, Bo began the process of carefully peeking inside the foil packets. She was careful to avoid any steam burns, all the while her mind wandered through a number of random thoughts. The first thing Bo considered was if Charlotte was too young to enjoy a swing set if they were to install one in the back yard. Imaging that little blonde girl crying as she slid down a sliding board quickly made Bo decide against it. While she was certain Charlotte would love the swings, the fire chief was just not ready to see her little girl fall down and cry, which was bound to happen with every child on a sliding board at some point.

As with overactive minds, that thought then led to another thought: of a recent occasion when Charlotte did fall down and cry unlike anything Bo had ever heard before. While the little one was merely trying to walk from the sofa to her toy box, she stumbled over her own wobbly feet and rolled on the living room carpet. She wasn't hurt from the spill, but she cried like she was on the sinking Titanic. While in reality, Bo realized kids would cry and fall down routinely, Bo was still a mother who wished her child would never have to cry again.

As the thought made Bo decide she would wait on the swing set for another year, the Fire Chief shut the lid to the grill and took one step back to lessen the impact of the heat emanating from it. She took another glance to the sky and inhaled deep enough to relax her shoulders on the exhale. Dinner was almost ready, and spending a late night at home with Lauren and their daughter brought a joy to the brunette unlike anything else could. Yes she loved her job, and yes she loved her muscle cars, but she would give up everything in the world for her family. Lauren and Charlotte filled Bo's heart beyond compare of anything else in her life.

The sound of the sliding glass doors behind her pulled Bo's attention from the sky to Lauren now exiting their home. The patio lighting allowed Bo to see the baby monitor in her hand and the smile on Lauren's face. The sound of absolutely nothing echoing through that little box told Bo that Charlotte was successfully asleep.

"She is sleeping?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded. "Yes she is."

Bo took Lauren's outstretched empty hand and threaded their fingers together comfortably. She placed an appreciative kiss to Lauren's cheek.

"Good job, mama bear."

Lauren smiled at Bo's playful use of the phrase. She was indeed a mama bear. Lauren knew Bo would be the stricter parent when the little one grew to be a teenager, but Lauren's medical knowledge had her overthinking every little action and reaction from their child since the day she was born.

"Thanks hon." The doctor took a deep breath and savored the aromas filling the airspace. "Damn that smells great, Bo."

Bo kissed the back of Lauren's hand. "Tell me about it. I've been standing out here growing hungrier by the minute. Thankfully it's almost ready."

"Excellent!"

Bo leaned closer to Lauren, placing a few gentle kisses along the blonde's jawline.

"Mmmm," Lauren whispered as she enjoyed the attention.

"Favor?" Bo whispered in her ear.

"Mmmm anything," Lauren replied.

"Wanna pour me a drink and I'll meet you inside with the food?" Bo asked playfully.

Lauren rolled her eyes and laughed.

"I suppose it's the least I could do since you are cooking me this wonderful meal."

"Thanks babe," Bo replied.

Lauren pulled Bo's hand to her lips and placed a quick kiss to the back of her hand. Without another word, she cradled the baby monitor as she returned inside their house and made a direct line to the kitchen. Consciously, Lauren walked a little softer through the living room, certain that she did not want to be held responsible for making excessive noise and waking Charlotte a few minutes after she had fallen asleep.

Once in the kitchen, Lauren opened the cupboard located to the left of the refrigerator. Living with Bo for a few years had taught Lauren the brunette's beverage preferences, so she didn't hesitate to open the liquor cabinet and extract a bottle of whiskey. Placing it quietly on the counter next to the baby monitor, Lauren reached for two glasses and lined them up on the counter.

The oak scent hit her nose the moment she pulled off the bottle cap. It smelled good enough that she poured a second glass for herself. Lauren wasn't much of a whiskey drinker, but she would occasionally have one with Bo if the mood struck her. Tonight was one of those nights.

Lauren glanced over the label on the bottle and smiled. Tamsin had gifted this particular bottle to them several months prior, for no reason other than she busted a large robbery ring hitting up local liquor stores and several owners had rewarded her with gifts of a few bottles. Bo was certainly thrilled to accept it from Tamsin as this brand was her favorite.

Holding the bottle in hand, Lauren's stomach dropped momentarily as she thought about Tamsin. Their lives had been intertwined for more years than Lauren could remember. Through the good and through the bad, Tamsin was always a fixture in Lauren's life, at least until six months ago. Lauren sighed heavily as her sadness formed an ache deep within her. The doctor could not deny she missed her best friend dearly. It had been six months since she had heard from the detective, and despite the good reasoning for it, Lauren did not like her absence at all. Not having Tamsin nearby was an adjustment Lauren continued to struggle with daily.

During those past six months, there were moments when Lauren picked up her phone and dialed the detective's number just to listen to her recorded greeting and then leave a voice mail message. She had done so a few dozen times and the mail box never filled up, so she knew Tamsin, or someone, was getting the messages. Despite never hearing from Tamsin since the day she left, Lauren still wished for a return call one of these days.

With a heavy heart, Lauren released her tightened grip on the bottle and recorked it. She returned the whiskey to its resting place in the cupboard as the back doors to the patio slid open again. Lauren glanced over her shoulder to see Bo maneuver her way inside with a plateful of foil packets. Lauren took a deep breath and pushed aside her sadness. She watched Bo carry their grilled dinner to the dining room table, smiling and looking utterly adorable. Lauren did not want to cast a cloud over their enjoyable night at home, so with a practiced perfection, Lauren smothered the unsettled tug at her heart from missing her best friend and brought her own happiness back to the surface.

Lauren prepared two large glasses of water in addition to the glasses of whiskey and joined Bo at the dining room table for their late night dinner for two. After the beverage glasses and plates were placed on the table, Lauren put the baby monitor on the table as well. Thankfully the only sounds it echoed yet were sounds of silence.

Lauren glanced at the food Bo dished out to each of their plates.

"Bo this looks and smells amazing. Thank you again."

Bo smiled as she ripped open the last foil packet and carefully dumped the contents on a plate.

"You don't have to thank me, Lauren. I'm just glad we can have a nice quiet dinner together, even if it is ten o'clock at night."

Lauren slid into her seat and laughed quietly. It was rather late for dinner, but considering they both usually worked night shifts and this just happened to be their night off, the hour was not an extreme oddity for them. The plateful of food now resting before Lauren was certain to stop her stomach from growling. She reached for her fork as Bo lifted her whiskey glass and sniffed.

The brunette stopped shy of drinking it. She smiled wide and shifted her eyes to Lauren.

"I finished the open bottle last week, so this must mean you opened the new bottle. The one from Tamsin?"

Lauren nodded that Bo was correct. She opened her mouth to reply with just a simple yes, but her throat was dry and no words formed as Lauren felt the weight of Tamsin's absence again. The doctor squeezed her fork a little tighter and she took a slow, steady breath, hopeful her sadness would leave her on the exhale.

Just as Lauren had learned a lot about Bo over the years, the fire chief had also learned a lot about the blonde. When she shifted her eyes down and to the left, Lauren had something on her mind. When she remained quiet and shook her head slowly, Lauren was searching for the right words to say. And when she pierced her lips together and swallowed hard enough that Bo could visually see the movement in Lauren's throat, the brunette knew everything Lauren was thinking without her uttering a word.

Without taking one sip of the alcohol, Bo returned her glass to the table and slid her hand on top of Lauren's. She squeezed it gently, offering support without being asked. It was an offering of her attention to Lauren's feelings despite the doctor never saying a word. A moment of quiet simply sat between them until Bo spoke.

"Hey. It's okay to miss her, Laur."

Lauren exhaled a deeper breath. It was not just sadness that weighted Lauren's heart, but it was anger and frustration too.

"I don't want to ruin our night."

Bo tilted her head. "You never ruin our night. You haven't mentioned her in a few weeks, but I know it's bothering you. I hope you know I always want you to talk to me about anything bothering you. Including Tamsin."

Lauren nodded and squeezed Bo's hand as a thankful gesture. She stared blankly at her plate until finally looking up at Bo.

"I know, and I do miss her. A lot. I keep telling Evony to please have her call me, but all I ever get is the same line about how that's not an option."

Bo nodded, allowing a moment of quiet between them before replying.

"Well I'd say that's just Evony being Evony, but we both know this is also a part of Tamsin's job. I don't really understand how the whole undercover thing works, but it must be a really big case to have been going on this long."

Lauren knew Bo was right, but it did not make it any easier on her.

"Yeah. It just sucks."

Bo nodded. "Yes, it does."

With her free hand, Bo lifted her whiskey glass and held it in the air. She stared at Lauren quietly before the blonde finally realized Bo wanted her to do the same. Lauren smiled and lifted her glass as well. It was only then that Bo clinked her glass to Lauren's.

"To Tamsin. May she hurry home soon."

Lauren smiled. "I completely agree."

The short conversation about Tamsin was enough to clear the heaviness of the moment and bring Bo and Lauren back to a comfortable, happy space. Without wasting anytime, both women tore into their dinner. The salmon was damn near perfect. Lauren marveled at Bo's talents as the grill master of the house. Bo happily accepted her compliments. Conversation turned to much lighter fare and the two enjoyed the full extent of a "dinner date at home" until the last bites were consumed.

Lauren took the final sip of her whiskey, savoring the taste and the warmth it created in her cheeks. One drink was Lauren's limit for the night, despite wanting to pour a second. Since becoming a mother, Lauren kept her alcohol consumption lighter these days. She blamed her incessant need to remain in control, and that was not necessarily a bad thing.

"So Kenzi stopped by my office the other day and said we should get Charlotte's pictures taken professionally. She claims that a good aunt insists on lot of pictures."

Bo's leaned back in her chair and smiled. Kenzi had certainly been vocal about all the things she demanded as an aunt: mostly providing Charlotte with excessive toys and a lot of playtime. She also had a few babysitting overnights with the little one when Cassie was not available. Bo recalled Kenzi mentioned photos to her several months ago and she had even picked up some brochures from a local photographer one day, but the conversation had slipped her mind until Lauren just reminded her.

"Oh yeah Kenz mentioned that to me at one point too. Guess I forgot. Wait, why was Kenzi at your office?" Bo asked.

Lauren tossed her used napkin on the table.

"Uh, I think she had a therapy appointment. She still goes at least once a month."

Bo nodded, allowing herself to get lost in thought from a brief moment until Lauren continued on about photographs.

"I guess we could maybe look up some different places we could take Charlotte. There's one in the mall I think," Lauren replied.

Bo nodded. "There is. There is also one down by the station. I have a few brochures I picked up, but they're at work. I'll make a note to bring them home so we can review them."

Lauren smiled. "You already collected some brochures? Damn, I swear I'm the worst parent. I didn't even think about getting her picture taken."

Lauren looked away from Bo and glanced in the direction of the hallway leading to Charlotte's room. She really did not think about scheduling photos for Charlotte, and now that Bo and Kenzi both considered it already, Lauren felt critical of her own lack of planning. This certainly wasn't the first time the doctor felt this way. She had recognized her own lack of child rearing expertise. While Lauren could ensure all of Charlotte's organs were healthy and working properly, Lauren had very little instinct on the best way to be a parent. It was trying at times, mostly because Lauren was hard on herself. She wanted to be the best mother; she just wasn't even sure what "the best mother" looked like.

Bo playfully tossed her napkin at Lauren.

"Hey, you are not the worst parent. You are a wonderful mother. And I'm happy we get to be moms together."

Bo's encouragement brought Lauren's smile back. Lauren even threw the napkin back at Bo.

"Thanks Bo. Well let me know what I can do, or if you want me involved, to help plan the photographs."

Bo took Lauren's hand resting on the table. "Baby, of course I want you to help plan the photographs. I'll bring the brochures home in a few days when I go back to work and we can go over them together."

"Sounds good to me," Lauren replied.

Bo smiled.

"Now I just need to remember where the brochures are at."

Lauren laughed. "Maybe under a stack of papers at work?"

Bo nodded. "Maybe. Speaking of papers at work, guess what else I have piled up on my desk?"

Lauren looked at her curiously and shook her head, having not even a guess.

Bo continued. "Applications for the open position."

Lauren's ears perked up.

"The open firefighter position?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded.

Lauren knew there was a process to fill an opening, but it rarely happened. Station 55 was a solid team, and rarely did anyone want to leave.

"So how do you fill the job? You must have tons of applicants."

Bo relaxed into her chair and began to explain the process. She shared much information with Lauren and some of the highlights about the potential new fire fighters that may join Station 55 in the open slot they needed to fill. There was an excitement in Bo's voice as she explained it. The crew at Station 55 was like another part of the family. Even Lauren knew all the men who worked with Bo, and some even joined them for dinner on Sundays periodically.

While Bo followed a certain process to choose the best candidate, she also hoped that individual was a good fit for the whole team. There were written exams and practical exams, and ultimately those scores would allow Bo to make a sound decision for who got the job anyway.

Conversation carried on for a little while longer into the night. Both women cherished their time spent together. Their pleasant dinner at home was quite a spontaneous date between the two of them, especially after they finished eating dinner and Bo pulled Lauren into her arms and danced without music in the middle of the living room. Even Charlotte waking and crying so loud they did not need the baby monitor to hear it did not disrupt the night. If anything, it just made it that much more complete.

While Lauren cleaned up the dishes from dinner, Bo took upon the task of rocking Charlotte back to sleep. The chief walked in circles in Charlotte's bedroom with the little one in her arms. She whispered gentle words to her daughter, telling random stories about giraffes in the zoo and muscle cars in the garage. At one point, Bo walked in front of a mirror and stared upon the reflection. Bo's upper body muscles were incredibly well defined. Even at one year old, Charlotte appeared so tiny in her strong grasp. Fortunately, no one was there to witness Bo appreciating her own physique except Charlotte, who at this point had ceased all crying as she had drifted off to sleep once again.

Finally getting Charlotte to sleep again, Bo tucked her daughter in and stared at her child in the dimly lit bedroom. Charlotte had all of Lauren's facial features: her light blonde hair, the doctor's nose, and the same adorable chin. Charlotte was a mini version of Lauren, and having both of them in her life for the just the past few years gave Bo more reasons to smile and feel grateful that almost all the years before that.

With the gentlest of movements, Bo placed a kiss to her daughter's forehead.

"Sleep tight, peanut. Love you bunches."

Her whispered words were heartfelt. Just saying them aloud never dulled. She never quite knew love like this before, and despite not giving birth to Charlotte or being biologically related to her in any way, that was indeed her daughter just as much as Charlotte was Lauren's. No one would ever deny Bo that feeling.

With the quietest of motions, Bo pulled Charlotte's bedroom door closed and walked down the hall. As she stepped into the kitchen, Bo saw that Lauren was placing the last of the dishes in the dishwasher.

"Charlotte is sleeping again," Bo whispered.

"I know, thanks to this nifty baby monitor."

Lauren nodded to the counter nearby, where the baby monitor sat quietly. Bo glanced at the monitor, realizing Lauren was privy to her whispered words to Charlotte as she fell back asleep. Bo smiled, but held back her embarrassment from becoming visible. Her mind filtered through all the things she said to Charlotte, and if anything, Bo was most grateful that she had not been singing to Charlotte this time.

"You heard?" Bo whispered under her breath.

Lauren dried her hands before looping her arms around Bo's neck. "You're the best mother," Lauren replied.

Bo's hands were now fixed on Lauren's waist, trailing her fingertips gently under the hem of Lauren's shirt.

"No, you are," Bo replied.

Lauren placed one gentle, loving kiss to Bo's lips before pulling the Fire Chief into a full blown hug. She rested her chin on Bo's shoulder, closed her eyes and allowed the warmth of Bo's love to envelop her.

Bo held Lauren close, doing much of the same as she appreciated the quiet moment between them. It was only when she heard Lauren yawn that she knew it was going to be an early night.

"Come on Laur, let's go to bed."

Lauren yawned again as she stepped out of Bo's hold.

"Sorry I'm so tired. Staying up all day on a day off sure has wrecked my sleep habits."

Bo took Lauren's hand and walked toward the bedroom.

"Me too hon. No wonder Charlotte doesn't sleep well."

Once inside the bedroom, Bo eased the door almost fully closed behind them and Lauren placed the baby monitor on the dresser. The doctor couldn't stop yawning as she stripped out of her clothes and slipped on a pair of soft shorts and a tank top to sleep in. She looked at the clock, recognizing it was now one am. Despite her usual bedtime being closer to eight in the morning, tonight she was very much ready for sleep.

Lauren popped into the bathroom to brush her teeth and Bo was right behind her. Despite the doctor's exhaustion, she caught sight of the fire chief in one of her many, tight Station 55 t-shirts. It accentuated both the brunette's muscular physique and feminine curves. Lauren may have been tired, but she certainly wasn't dead. The sight put a huge smile on her face, enough that she almost choked on the toothpaste in her mouth when Bo caught her staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror.

Bo playfully smacked Lauren's ass and smirked as she grabbed the toothpaste.

"Still tired, doctor?"

Lauren finished brushing her teeth and put her toothbrush back in the wall mounted holder before turning to face Bo. The chief's biceps bulged from under the shirt sleeves, and even Bo's deltoids showed their definition through the grey cotton. Lauren would never deny that Bo's physical form was quite a turn on.

The doctor knew what Bo meant by that phrase, and Lauren wished she had enough energy to say she was now wide awake and take full advantage of the fire chief that night. Lauren slid her one hand over Bo's arm, tracing the muscle with the tip of her finger.

"I'm afraid I will be of no excitement tonight, but if I sleep well, I will make it up to you in the morning."

Bo trailed her eyes over Lauren's fingertips outlining her muscle definition. The combination of Lauren's touch and her words made Bo wish for morning to arrive quickly. The fire chief's words failed her. She said nothing as the smile spread across her face and she flexed the muscles in her arms playfully.

Lauren not only saw that flex but felt it against her wandering fingertips.

"My, my. Someone has been working out."

Bo accidentally squeezed the tube of toothpaste a bit too hard, squirting the minty paste all over her toothbrush and into the sink below. She looked at the mess she had just made and blushed.

"I, uh, I increased my reps a few weeks ago. I'm happy to see you noticed."

Lauren gave Bo's shoulder a playful squeeze. She leaned in and kissed Bo on the cheek before whispering into the brunette's ear.

"Have I ever not noticed?"

Bo smiled, staring at Lauren's reflection in the oversized mirror.

"Just one of the many things I love about you."

Lauren smiled again but another yawn quickly took over her expression. She quickly covered her mouth and left Bo to wrap up brushing her teeth. Lauren sauntered back into their bedroom and tugged the blankets down on the bed. It wasn't two minutes later that Bo was crawling into the bed next to her. The doctor wasted no time in snuggling up against Bo, even as the brunette reached to shut off the bedside light.

Cast in darkness, Lauren reveled in the comfort of their closeness. She exhaled a deep breath as her chin rested on Bo's shoulder and one of the chief's strong arms curled around Lauren and held her tight.

"Mmmm, I had such a wonderful day and night with you Bo."

Bo placed a loving kiss to Lauren's forehead and tightened her grasp around the doctor.

"Me too hon. I'm glad you had a craving for grilled salmon. Was fun to get the grill fired up again."

Lauren slid her hand over Bo's taut abs and sunk further against the chief. She wished desperately for a second wind to take full advantage of her girlfriend and their privacy before Charlotte woke up again, but Lauren's exhaustion was just too great. She used most of her remaining energy to respond to Bo.

"Mmmhmm. Maybe we can grill out again for Sunday supper when the family is over this week."

Sunday supper: the phrase Lauren started using after she moved in with Bo a few years ago. It became a weekly ritual for their extended family to come over every Sunday and enjoy family time together. Not just Kenzi, who was the only blood relative to join them, but Hale, Tamsin, Evony, Cassie and any of their guests no matter the occasion. Sometimes some of the fire fighters even popped in. It gave them a real sense of family connection that had become routine and valued to them both.

The thought of grilling out for Sunday supper put a big grin on Bo's face. Her brain immediately went to work on all the fun food she could grill out for the family. She rambled on about several different items she could throw on the barbeque, but Lauren drifted off to sleep so quickly that none of Bo's ideas were ever heard.

The Fire Chief finally quieted, recognizing Lauren's breathing pattern had changed. With that, Bo smiled and squeezed Lauren a little tighter in her arms before whispering a quiet _good night_ and _I love you._ It wasn't much longer after that when Bo drifted off to sleep as well.

xxxx

When Lauren was tired, her body and mind shut down at equal paces. Basic functionality such as walking or thinking about what the outside weather would be like became chores. But when Lauren was well rested, her thought processes were sharp and her physical movements were full of energy. Rarely did Lauren live in any middle ground: she was either completely exhausted or she was wide awake.

Her eyelids flipped open in the dark bedroom. She rolled and reached toward the night stand. A quick glance at her smartphone said it was five am. Despite having another day off work, her internal clock told her to get up and start the day. She may have fallen asleep half on top of Bo just a mere four hours prior, but the doctor slept hard: hard enough that she awoke full of energy.

She shifted her gaze to the baby monitor resting on the nearby dresser. The tiny red light indicated it was functioning properly, and Lauren smiled as she enjoyed the sounds of absolutely nothing echo through the device. She knew Charlotte would be awake within the hour as the little one always squeaked out her first sounds of their days off work somewhere between five thirty and six am.

Comfortably next to Lauren, Bo stirred slightly in the bed. The brunette may have still been unconscious, but she always stirred when Lauren woke. It was a morning ritual of which Lauren had become quite familiar. The doctor rolled into the fire chief, accepting the warm embrace the brunette subconsciously offered. Lauren always enjoyed the comforts and peace from a quiet morning with Bo, but her mind and her body had other ideas that made an escalated pulse more enticing than anything calm.

The faint light trickling in the window from the nearby street lamp provided a hint of visibility in the room; enough for Lauren to see the tight Station 55 t-shirt tugged tight against Bo's chest. Not that she needed any fuel thrown on her pre-dawn fire building within, but the knowledge of what lie beneath that thin cotton material lit Lauren's morning fuse.

Lauren rolled further into Bo. With kisses placed gently along Bo's neckline, Lauren began a slow process of waking the brunette in one of her most favorite ways. Truthfully it was one of Lauren's favorite ways to wake as well, and there were certainly no losers when it came to mornings like this.

Bo's breathing changed, alerting the doctor that Bo's mind was starting to wake. Lauren was certain the brunette's subconscious already understood the doctor's body weight now on top of her; Lauren's hands nudging Bo's shirt up higher, Lauren's lips trailing kisses around Bo's navel. The doctor knew the scientific process for how Bo's body and mind escaped the deepest of sleep and would gradually come to full consciousness, but this course of treatment was far from scientific.

As the blonde shifted lower on the bed, she pulled the sheets down with her. Intentionally uncovering Bo, Lauren hooked her fingers on the edges of Bo's boy shorts and tugged.

Bo's eyes remained closed but the quiet murmurs escaping her lips told Lauren she was partially awake and partially aware of the doctor making good on her late night promise. After all, Lauren did say that a good night of sleep would bring about a good morning, and this was certainly the best way she could make up for her exhaustion the night prior.

With a firm tug, Lauren slipped Bo's boy shorts down. She looped her arm under Bo's right knee and lifted it slightly. The bend more than affording enough space to slid the brunette's leg out of the shorts completely. Lauren immediately moved her lips against the skin of Bo's leg. Up her shin, over her knee, and lingering on her muscular thigh, Lauren's kisses brought out the loudest sighs from Bo heard so far that morning. Lauren smiled into Bo's leg as the sound of the fire chief's appreciation floated through the room.

With another shift in her position, Lauren settled against the bed while her trail of kisses led her down the inside of Bo's thigh. It was immediately made evident that Bo was wide awake now, her hand connecting with Lauren's hand now resting on the fire chief's exposed hip. The brunette may have not had any strength to say any comprehendible words, but she squeezed Lauren's hand with an urgency that spoke volumes.

A well placed swipe of Lauren's tongue brought Bo's words to light. The fire chief's earlier sighs quickly morphed into whispered phrases of praise and compliments. Lauren loved catching Bo off guard in the best of ways. Having days off together and making time for one another may not have been as frequent as it had been when they first started dating, but neither woman was ready to throw in the towel and let their sex lives diminish. Sure they now had a daughter that was their absolute priority. Charlotte took time they may have otherwise spent sequestered in the bedroom, but when quiet moments like this provided the opportunity, Lauren always showed Bo that her desires for the brunette were just as strong now as they were when they first met.

Bo pulled a pillow over her own face to muffle her rising voice. Lauren's arms remained fixed in place, anchoring the chief exactly where the doctor wanted her. Bo may have had a physical strength advantage over Lauren on any given day, but in this position, Lauren held a power over the brunette to which Bo always willingly bowed.

It took very little effort for Lauren to keep Bo's flexing hips pinned within her grasp. The doctor's approach to waking Bo continued with strategically placed strokes, swiping her tongue just this way or that to keep the fire chief hovering on the edge. The room may have only had the street light peering through the window, but it was plenty of light for Lauren. Her open eyes glanced over the rippled muscles in Bo's abdomen, and the rise and fall of her chest where the edge of that thin cotton t-shirt remained.

Lauren appreciated the view immensely, so much that she released one hand gripping Bo's thigh and slid it higher: high enough to snake under Bo's fire fighter t-shirt and allow her fingers to explore Bo's breasts.

The sensation overload created from the combination of Lauren's mouth and her hand sparked Bo's release to quickly follow. With a strong arm, the brunette threw the pillow away, freeing her face from the object. She arched off the bed before covering her mouth with her hand to further muffle the vocal match to her body's eruption. Bo's eyes locked with Lauren's as a euphoric high flooded her nervous system.

Lauren knew Bo's responses well enough to not relent. She pushed Bo further over that crest until the fire chief could not take it anymore and collapsed back into the mattress. Only when Bo reached for Lauren and touched her cheek did the doctor cease her actions.

Lauren turned her head slightly to the right and placed gentle, loving kisses to Bo's thigh. She caught her breath as Bo did the same before giving in to Bo's tugs on her arm to join her further up on the bed. It took quite a bit of self-discipline to give Bo a few moments to enjoy the sensations still coursing through her body. Rather than pounce on the glowing brunette, Lauren crawled over her and laid down partially on top of her.

Bo wrapped her arms around Lauren and held her close, burying her face in Lauren's neck as she smothered the doctor with pecks and happy sighs.

"Good morning," Lauren whispered.

Bo laughed; literally laughed out loud. Yes it was certainly a good morning, better than she could have ever anticipated. While this wasn't the first time Lauren had woken her in this manner, Bo never tired of it. Her senses were always most sensitive in the morning; it always made for a quick and explosive climax.

"Dear gods I am the luckiest woman alive," Bo replied.

Lauren laughed as she nuzzled against Bo's neck.

"I'll take that statement as this was worth the wait?"

Lauren didn't expect an answer. She knew Bo was happily floating above ground at the moment and simply wanted to afford her the time to enjoy it.

"I'd wait lifetimes for you, hon."

"Aww, I bet you say that to all the girls."

Bo playfully smacked Lauren's ass before she rolled the doctor on to her back. She intentionally placed kisses on the most ticklish spaces along Lauren's neck, eliciting a round of giggles from the blonde who now squirmed under her grasp.

On several prior occasions, Lauren had dropped a similar comment to Bo: about other women who would easily throw themselves at someone like Bo. And while Lauren was completely secure in their committed, monogamous relationship and only meant those remarks as a joke, Bo always followed up with a tickle or playful touch and some verbal statement of reassurance.

The fire chief slowed her ticklish kisses, allowing Lauren to catch her breath. Bo arched over Lauren, just enough that she could see the love in Lauren's eyes staring up at her.

"It will always and only be you, Lauren."

Lauren nodded her head slightly, enough to show Bo she already fully believed that statement. In fact, since the first time Bo said it, Lauren never doubted it once.

Bo shifted slightly, pressing her weight on to her elbow against the soft mattress. Still partially on top of Lauren, the brunette slid her finger under the strap of Lauren's tank top. Bo smiled as her fingers brushed softly over Lauren's skin. She looked down at the rest of the tank top, catching sight of the Station 55 emblem. While Lauren made it a habit of borrowing any number of shirts or tank tops from Bo's fire fighter shirt collection, this particular tank top was Lauren's. It was one of the promotional items Bo's fire station included as giveaways in the gift bag from the Firefighter's Ball last summer.

Bo widened her grin as she realized the annual event was fast approaching. She shifted her eyes to Lauren's again.

"You know, the annual Firefighter's Ball is in two months. Be my date. I'm sure there will be more fire fighter tank tops or t-shirts in the gift bag again."

Lauren's eyes lit up with excitement. She had been to the annual event with Bo every year since they became a couple, and it was always a wonderful night for the two of them. Truthfully, Lauren found it the perfect excuse to buy a new dress. Walking in to a room full of service men and women on Bo's arm made Lauren feel like the luckiest woman in the world. And there was denying it: Bo rocked her Fire Chief attire better than anyone else could.

Lauren found Bo's playful approach to offering an invitation to the event absolutely adorable. Being asked on a date reminded Lauren that Bo never took their relationship for granted, and Lauren loved hearing Bo ask her on a date anywhere. It always gave Lauren those teenager-in-love jitters.

She tucked a strand of Bo's hair behind her ear and smiled.

"Chief Dennis are you bribing me to the Firefighter's Ball as your "plus one" with the allure of a free tank top or t-shirt?"

Bo slid her hand down Lauren's side before sliding it under the fire engine red tank top. She rested her hand against Lauren's heated skin, holding back her desires until she had Lauren's verbal commitment to attend the event.

"I'm asking you to the Firefighter's Ball because it will make me the luckiest woman in the word to have you on my arm. The free t-shirt is just an added bonus."

She tossed Lauren a wink as the blonde tightened her hold on Bo's waist.

"Then there is only one answer I could possibly ever give."

Bo raised her eye brows. She knew the answer but had to ask anyway.

"And that answer would be?"

Lauren leaned up to Bo, preparing to kiss the woman and continue their early morning antics before Charlotte woke and pulled them out of the privacy of their bedroom for the day. She licked her lips, staring deeply into the eyes of the woman who she, too, called her one and only.

"That answer would be yes."

xxx


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey Everyone! Thanks for continuing on with this one - sorry the updates are so far apart - here's a short one to keep it going :) Enjoy!_

xxxx

 _The following month_

Lauren checked the thermostat for the third time in an hour. She turned the central air conditioning to a colder setting yet. The constant opening and closing of the sliding glass doors to the back patio had warmed the entire house way too much for Lauren's liking. The heat wave baking the city had permeated into her own home, and there was no escape from the hot summer air despite the air conditioning running without fail. Unfortunately, the inside of the home did little more than provide shade from the sun's direct rays.

"Yikes it's as steamy in here as it is outside!"

Wide eyed, Kenzi shook her head in dramatic fashion as she stepped through the open sliding doors from the back patio. She pushed the door shut quickly before fanning herself with one hand while carrying Charlotte with the other.

Lauren smiled and wiped the back of her hand across her own forehead, feeling too warm for comfort. She proceeded into the kitchen as she replied.

"I know Kenz. I just adjusted the a/c. If it doesn't cool down in here, I'm literally going to stand in the kitchen with my head in the freezer."

Lauren laughed as she said it, knowing the sight would be rather silly and something Kenzi would never let her forget. But instead of proceeding to the freezer, Lauren grabbed handfuls of silverware from the nearby drawer to be used in the dining room. As lovely as it was to have the extended family over for a Sunday cookout, it was entirely too hot to eat outside and their dining room would be getting much use that day.

Kenzi walked across the living room to the kitchen archway, bouncing Charlotte in her arms until she was standing near Lauren. She was smiling at Lauren's statement and instantly pulled open the freezer door, glanced inside and then glanced to Charlotte still in her arms.

"Did you hear that peanut? Your mamma wants to stick her head in the freezer."

Charlotte giggled. Her eyes widened as she stared at the box of freeze pops propped near the front of the freezer. She reached her hands outward as Kenzi stared at her curiously.

"Pop."

Kenzi glanced inside the freezer, not quite versed in Charlotte talk. Lauren, however, knew exactly what she wanted. Gripping a dozen forks and spoons, Lauren bumped the drawer shut with her hip as she explained.

"She sees the popsicle box, Kenz. I'm sure she wants one. Hell I want one. It's like a thousand degrees in here."

Kenzi looked at Lauren and scrunched her brow.

"Oh a popsicle? So should I give her one then? Or is that for dessert?"

Lauren hustled to the dining room and tossed the pile of silverware on the table. She preferred Charlotte not have one before dinner, but the warm air made Lauren comfortable with breaking her own rules for a change and did not hesitate to give permission.

"Go ahead and give her one now. Maybe it will help cool her down until the air conditioning takes the edge off."

Kenzi bounced Charlotte in her arms and smiled.

"Oooh mamma said you can have a popsicle now. Aren't you the lucky little one?"

Kenzi grabbed a popsicle and carried it, with Charlotte, to the dining room. She settled into a chair next to Charlotte's booster seat, carefully maneuvering the sticky wrapper off the cherry flavored freezer pop.

Lauren shifted a few piles of plates and dishes around on the table, making sure there was plenty of space for the food Bo was finishing on the grill. She glanced over to Kenzi, patiently babysitting her own daughter while she and Bo tried to handle all the necessary components needed for a cookout.

"Thanks Kenz," Lauren offered.

"For what?" Kenzi asked.

"For watching Charlotte. I'll take her in a minute. Just gonna grab the condiments."

Kenzi handed the popsicle wrapper to Lauren on her way from the dining room to the kitchen.

"Well I am an awesome aunt, thank you. But no rush, doc. Charlotte is good practice for me. Isn't that right, peanut?!"

Kenzi made silly faces at her niece, helping the little one enjoy the sugary popsicle treat in hand. She held it carefully while Charlotte tried to lick the cold dessert, which served up quite a bit of entertainment for Kenzi in return.

Lauren tossed the sticky popsicle wrapper in the trash and stood in front of the refrigerator for a moment. She used the moment of silence to replay Kenzi's words in her head. _Good practice._ That needed a bit more of an explanation despite the assumptions already formulating in the doctor's mind.

Lauren yanked open the refrigerator door and collected the necessary condiments for Sunday supper. With hands full, Lauren finally turned away from the refrigerator and walked back into the dining room. She dumped the plastic containers all over the table and stared at Kenzi.

"Practice, huh? So are you and Hale…trying?"

Lauren didn't want to pry, but that was exactly what she was doing. This was the first she ever heard Kenzi mention children. She picked up her nearby glass of iced tea and gulped it, waiting for Kenzi to reply.

Kenzi shrugged as she held the popsicle for Charlotte, who was trying to eat the entire thing in one bite.

"Not technically, but the subject has come up a few times. I guess you could say it's an ongoing discussion. Hale likes the idea of having kids near the same age as your kids."

Lauren swallowed her drink too quickly, causing her to cough as she heard Kenzi refer to her children in the plural sense. She covered her mouth and swallowed.

"My kids plural? As in more than one? You realize we only have one child and you're currently holding her, right?"

Kenzi took a lick of Charlotte's popsicle and grimaced.

"Ugh Lauren this thing tastes like cherry flavored medicine. Sick. And for the record, yes I know that you only have one. For now anyway."

Kenzi tossed Lauren a wink as she let Charlotte have the popsicle again. Lauren shook her head.

"For the record, I don't like the cherry popsicles either but they're Charlotte's favorite flavor. Anyway, Bo and I have discussed this. We only want Charlotte and no other kids. For us, there is no need to worry about a surprise baby number two. If that happens, there is surely something in the universe that has gone astray."

Kenzi laughed in agreement with Lauren's statement as the doors to the back patio slid open again. Both women glanced to the doorway, watching Bo enter and lead a parade of other guests and more hot air inside their home.

Before that group was within earshot, Kenzi ended her private conversation with Lauren with one final statement.

"I give you both another year before you're planning number two. And that's all I'll say about the matter."

It was all that Kenzi said about the matter, for the entire group of Sunday supper participants filed into the dining room and brought other conversation with them. The commotion of the moment was typical for their weekly gathering: Lauren finally took Charlotte out of Kenzi's arms so the proud aunt could open up the bags of hamburger and hot dog buns, Hale was passing out more cold beers from the fridge, Cassie and fire fighter Ty Sanders handed out plates around the table, Bo was trying to make more room on the table for the platter of grilled food, and fire fighter Ryan Lambert carried in two giant bowls of chilled side dishes from the kitchen.

Lauren simply sat down in her chair, watching melted cherry flavored popsicle run down Charlotte's chin and soak into her own yellow shirt. Lauren rolled her eyes. That stain would never come out, and she made a mental note to never buy red colored anything ever again.

"Doctor Lewis, do you want me to hold Charlotte while you make a plate?"

Ryan was standing at her side, smiling wide. Despite knowing Lauren for years, he insisted on calling her Doctor Lewis. She supposed it was similar to how he always called Bo "Chief".

"Thanks Ryan but this shirt is already lost to the stain gods. No sense putting you through that."

"Okay. Well if you change your mind just let me know," Ryan replied as he grabbed a plate, starting his own food assembly.

All the other guests claimed seats at the dining room table and began to fill their plates as well. Salads and ketchup bottles were passed around the table as the family settled in for another Sunday supper. The guests moved about the dining room comfortably until all but Bo was seated and getting ready to dig in.

Bo placed a plate of food in front of Lauren. She leaned down and kissed Charlotte on the head, winking at Lauren in the process. The doctor smiled, whispering a heartfelt "thank you" for assembling her plate of food. Bo simply nodded her acknowledgment of Lauren's thanks as she began to take her own seat next to Lauren.

It was then that the front door swung open. A quick glance across the dining and living room allowed Lauren to see none other than Evony stroll in fashionably late. Lauren watched carefully as did Bo, wondering if Evony was alone again. Unfortunately, Lauren set herself up for disappointment as she hoped Tamsin would follow behind Evony, and the doctor was visibly disappointed when Evony closed the door without anyone else behind her.

Evony sauntered into the dining room. "Sorry I'm late. Some of the traffic lights are out. Must be this damn heat."

Bo handed an empty plate to Evony as she handed Bo a bottle of wine in return.

Bo shook her head and replied, "No problem Evony. You're actually right on time. I just took the food off the grill. Hope you're hungry."

Bo looked over the wine bottle once before immediately placing it in front of Lauren. With a crumpled napkin, the doctor wiped Charlotte's chin of another red sugary drip as she eyed the bottle. Lauren knew the label by heart. It was her favorite wine, and despite Evony's best intentions of such an expensive peace offering, Lauren was still unhappy with the detective.

Lauren glanced from the bottle to Evony, who was standing there with an empty plate in hand as Hale offered the detective a beer. Evony declined his offer but kept her eyes trained on Lauren, waiting to see if the blonde would accept her gift as a gesture of good faith.

Lauren took a deep breath, shaking her head at Evony but smiling all the same.

"Thank you for the wine, but I'm still mad at you."

Evony smiled. She took an empty seat near Lauren and began to fill her plate with some of Bo's fabulous cooking.

Evony relaxed her shoulders, grateful for Lauren's statement. At least they were still on speaking terms. "I know, and you can be mad at me for as long as you need to be. Just know that she is safe."

Fire fighter Sanders placed his beer bottle on the table and formed a confused expression on his face.

"Who is safe?"

Kenzi was the first to reply. "That would be Tamsin. She's Lauren's BFF, and actually she's one of mine too. She's also a police detective. Has been doing some super, secret work since the holidays and we haven't seen her in forever. So Evony here, who is Tamsin's partner on the force, is in the shit house because she won't tell us a damn thing about Tamsin's whereabouts."

Bo returned to the table and handed Evony a corkscrew before placing empty wine glasses in front of her and Lauren. The detective immediately began to open the bottle of wine.

Evony spoke up as she pulled the cork from the bottle. "It's not that I don't want to tell you all. I just can't."

Bo passed a stack of napkins to Ryan as she jumped into the conversation.

"Everyone understands, Evony, including Lauren. It's just weird that Tamsin is not around. We all miss her."

And it was true. Everyone missed Tamsin. Lauren missed her best friend and all the wonderful daily components of having a best friend nearby. Bo missed Tamsin as her jogging buddy. Kenzi missed Tamsin because of pizza and video game nights. Just having Tamsin in their lives was missed. No one made that a secret.

Evony nodded her understanding as she handed Lauren a glass of wine, which the doctor immediately reached to accept. The detective did not release the glass from her own grip until Lauren looked her in the eye.

"She'll be back soon."

Lauren nodded her understanding, triggering Evony to finally let go of the glass.

With a mouthful of food, Ryan spoke.

"So what kind of case is she on?"

Hale laughed as he waved his finger in the air.

"Lambert she'll never tell you that."

Ryan shrugged and swallowed his bite.

"Why not?"

Evony placed her wine glass on the table and answered him.

"Because it's undercover work. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."

She followed her statement with a wink, pulling laughter from everyone at the table. Everyone except Lauren, who still missed her friend dearly. The doctor did smile though, which was progress. Bo noticed Lauren struggling with the conversation. She slid a hand on Lauren's thigh under the table and squeezed, offering her love and support.

Bo took a sip of her cold beer and decided this was a good time to change the subject from Tamsin's absence to something more positive.

"On another note, the fire fighter ball is coming up later this summer. And you know what that means…"

Kenzi bounced up on and down in her chair. She raised her hand high in the air like a student in a classroom. Bo smiled and nodded in her direction. She used her best teacher-type voice.

"Yes Kenzi?"

Kenzi lowered her arm and smiled.

"It means me and hotpants are going shopping for new dresses so you and Hale can take us ladies out for a night on the town!"

"That would be correct!"

Laughter resumed. The conversation change lightened the mood considerably, allowing a few walks down memory lane with stories from prior black tie events. Several stories surfaced from around the table, including one when Kenzi drank so much that she fell backwards over a fire hydrant on the sidewalk two years prior. Bo never would let her live that one down. Ryan reminded the gang about a bad storm that knocked the power out during that very event several years prior. And even Lauren, who was hell bent on staying in a positive mood despite her earlier gloom of missing Tamsin, offered up a story that very few at the table had heard...yet.

"After our first fire fighter ball together, I thought Bo left me."

The entire table fell silent as all eyes shifted to Lauren, who smiled to Bo before continuing to tell the story.

"The night was just wrapping up when Bo excused herself for a moment to speak with someone. I was gathering up my purse and the program booklets from the table when she walked away. I didn't think much of it really. The program ran long and we had both consumed our fair share of drinks that night. I was ready to head home, with Bo, and enjoy the rest of the night: just the two of us. Ten minutes passed and Bo was nowhere to be found. Most people had left by then and the cleaning crew was out and starting to disassemble the room set up. I tried to call her but was reminded that her phone was in my purse, so I walked outside to see if she was still talking to anyone."

"And was she?" Kenzi asked.

Lauren shook her head. "Nope. In that moment, I saw her Camaro roar down the street away from the event."

Firefighter Sanders glared at Bo. "You drove away without Doctor Lewis, Chief?"

Bo's face turned red, shaking her head "no" as Lauren continued the story.

"Well I thought she did, so I grabbed one of the waiting taxi cabs to take me home."

Bo put her fork down and jumped in to the conversation.

"Except that wasn't me or my Camaro roaring down the street, was it Lauren?"

Lauren laughed so hard that Charlotte bounced on her knee. When she finally calmed enough to speak, she agreed with Bo.

"It was not Bo, nor her Camaro. It was someone else completely. Apparently I had consumed way too much alcohol and clearly could not tell one Camaro apart from another!"

The group sitting around the table echoed the laughter for several moments, until Kenzi posed another question.

"Well wait, where was Bo?"

Lauren looked to Bo, allowing her to answer the question directly.

"I was in the bathroom and the stall lock jammed. It took me twenty minutes to get out."

Bo's response brought forth further laughter from all, including Lauren who blew a kiss to Bo as the memories flooded through them both.

"That's a great story guys," Cassie chimed in.

"It really is," Ryan stated.

"Sounds like one hell of a party," Evony replied.

"It is. I think it's one of the most fun nights we have out every year," Hale added.

"Sounds like a fun night, but the real question: how is the food?" Cassie asked.

"Ehhhh," echoed from all corners of the table.

It was true. Like many large events, sometimes the food just wasn't spectacular. And for Cassie, it was all about the food."

"Well, you all know how I like to eat, and no offense, but I'd rather get asked on a date to have this amazing mac and cheese."

Cassie scooped up a huge amount from her plate. "Who made it? It is seriously the best thing I've ever eaten in my life."

Cassie held her fork like it was a rare, expensive gemstone. The expression in her eyes matched the tone of her voice. She made no secret of her appreciation for the food, pulling a round of laughter from the table.

Hale finished his bite of food, cleared his throat, stood from his chair and bowed twice over his folded arm playfully.

"That would be me," Hale replied.

Cassie quickly stood up and faced Hale across the table. She extended her arms outward and bowed down to him in an equally as playful act.

"You, sir, are the master of the mac and cheese. Kenzi, you are one lucky woman."

More laughter erupted, especially from Kenzi who was hunched over her plate in a giggle fit. She took a moment to regain her composure before she replied.

"Yes, Hale is quite the cook. Thankfully so, because I am quite the eater. I can totally go for seconds on that."

Without hesitating, Sanders passed the dish of macaroni and cheese over to Kenzi, who took two giant spoonfuls of the cheesy goodness and dumped it onto her plate.

"So Cassie, maybe there's a guy out there, besides Hale of course, who can make a killer mac and cheese. Hell maybe there's another firefighter out there that can take you to the ball and then take you out for better food afterwards. Seems like a win-win, right?" Lauren asked.

Cassie nodded.

"True, but there just aren't that many good ones out there, period. Fire fighters or otherwise, too many guys are into showing off their money or they think they are a gift to women."

Bo wiped her mouth and looked down the table toward Cassie.

"So Cassie, does that statement mean, if we find an available man who can make macaroni and cheese but doesn't care about money, you'll give him a chance?"

Cassie nodded again.

"If he picks mac and cheese with plastic utensils over those fancy, black napkin joints with no prices on the menu, then I'll marry him."

xxxx

 _Later that week_

Lauren was barely awake enough to stumble out of bed. Her alarm clock buzzed three times before she finally found the strength to leave the comforts of fluffy pillows and soft sheets. She stayed awake far too long spending time with Charlotte earlier in the day while Bo slept, and when the doctor finally did hand her daughter over to Cassie, she tossed and turned for a solid hour before dozing off. That was only three hours ago.

It helped that Bo was already out of bed, making the task of waking up a bit easier for Lauren. Otherwise she would have conceded to using a sick day and curling into Bo's arms for as long as the Fire Chief would have allowed. With two feet firmly planted on the floor, Lauren made her way to the bathroom before dragging herself down the hall to the kitchen. The house was extremely quiet, affording Lauren to hear the sounds of a riding lawn mower humming from the back yard.

She crossed the living room and pushed the curtain aside, glancing to perfectly mowed lawn. The evening sky was still bright as mid-day, and the sun's reflection bounced off the decorative ceramic gnomes dotted throughout the flower bed lining the back patio. But the sight that put a huge smile on Lauren's face was that of Bo, driving the riding lawn mower at quite possibly the slowest speed possible, with Charlotte on her lap. The two of them sported their matching black sunglasses, and Charlotte's clapping told Lauren everything she needed to know about her daughter's enjoyment of the ride.

She closed the curtain and crossed through the living room to the kitchen, recognizing Cassie at the dining room table as she poured a large glass of apple juice. The babysitter had books sprawled out across the table, and her frustrated expression made Lauren question what she was looking at.

"Hey Cassie."

Cassie looked up quickly. She hadn't even heard Lauren wandering through the house until she spoke her name.

"Hey Lauren. Good morning. How was your sleep?"

Lauren swallowed a mouthful of cold juice, kicking her senses awake just a bit further.

"Eh, could've been longer but I'll survive."

Cassie glanced toward the back windows before returning her line of sight to Lauren.

"Bo woke up early. She decided to mow the grass, and then decided to give Charlotte driving lessons on the lawn mower. I thought I'd try my hand at a little studying until you two head off for work."

Lauren smiled at Cassie's choice words for Bo and Charlotte's "driving lessons." She glanced over the books open on the table's surface, pulling one closer so she could see the content.

"Looks like they are having a blast out there too," Lauren replied.

Cassie nodded as Lauren looked over one open book on the table.

Lauren's eyes widened. "Ahhh, medical terminology."

Cassie placed her elbows on the table, dropping her head into her hands with a sigh.

"Yes it's awful."

Lauren laughed, remembering her own years back in medical school and the challenges it presented. "Tell me about it."

"I know you totally understand. And the terminology isn't too bad, but I just can't get past looking at some of these pictures."

Cassie slid a text book toward Lauren. The page was flipped open to a rather gruesome image of an injury, and the sight even made Lauren cringe.

"Eww, that's a horrible picture."

Lauren sipped her juice as she pulled out a chair, sitting across the table from Cassie.

"I know, right? I keep thinking that if I see this in real life, I would simply throw up."

Lauren laughed but covered her face quickly to quiet it. It wasn't that she found Cassie's stress funny, but she had seen many people throw up from seeing gruesome injuries.

"Well it is rather gross at first, but you need to just step back from it and focus on what you are doing to save the person's life."

Cassie leaned back in her chair, giving the books a break as she began to pick the doctor's brain.

"How do you do it?"

Lauren scrunched her brow. "Do what?"

Cassie pointed at the gruesome picture and replied.

"Save people and not get grossed out? Or feel sad because they are bleeding to death right before your very eyes? How do you function without panicking?"

It was the first time someone had asked Lauren that type of question in a very long time. Handling the emotional and physical reactions to injuries was something Lauren had to learn how to handle very early on in her medical career. The only thing that ever got Lauren through all the really nasty injuries was to compartmentalize all her feelings so that she could mentally focus on using her training to help someone. She could not think about the fact that the patient could be someone's mother or father, someone's sister or brother, child or grandchild. No, Lauren had to intentionally forget that the patient was even a real person so that she was not impacted by their humanity. She literally pretended each patient to be a fake body, with fake blood and a fake heartbeat. It was the only way Lauren could ignore sadness from the patient's pain and suffering.

Lauren placed her juice glass on the table as she replied.

"Well, in an emergency, I pretend my patients are all fake bodies. It helps me avoid emotional attachments to them and it allows me a clearer focus on using my training and knowledge to save them."

"Fake bodies?" Cassie repeated.

Lauren shrugged. "I know it's weird but it works for me."

Lauren's confirmation pulled a loud laugh from Cassie's throat. It caught the doctor by surprise.

"What's so funny?" Lauren asked.

Cassie quieted her laughter and shook her head.

"I'm sorry I don't mean to laugh, but the more I think about this EMT career, the more I think I should just become a full time babysitter. How about it? A nanny for Charlotte until she turns eighteen?"

Lauren finished the last of the apple juice in her glass. She felt more awake now and a shower was in her near future, but that didn't stop her from continuing this conversation with Cassie.

"Well you know Bo and I would love to have you as our full time nanny until Charlotte turns 87, but we also want you to follow your dreams. Finish your EMT schooling. Have faith, you can do it."

Cassie nodded and smiled. "Thanks. It's just hard."

Lauren was now the one laughing.

"Oh trust me. I said the same thing at least six thousand times in medical school. But stick with it. And I'm happy to help you study anytime."

That offer made Cassie's smile even bigger.

"Really? Thanks Lauren. That would be a huge help."

The glass patio doors slid open, pulling both their attention to Bo and Charlotte returning inside. Charlotte was giggling uncontrollably and Bo was muttering her own version of baby talk to the little one. The sight gave Lauren's heart a tug. Bo was sweating and her shoes were covered in grass stains. Charlotte kept grabbing at Bo's sunglasses, trying to pull them off her face. The brunette carried the little one into the dining room where Lauren instantly reached for their daughter. Without words, Bo simply passed Charlotte over to her. The fire chief placed a very sweaty kiss on Lauren.

"Morning hon," Bo announced.

"Good morning. Thanks for mowing the grass."

Lauren bounced Charlotte in her lap, quickly realizing that the little one's skin felt slimy from all the sunblock she was wearing.

"You're welcome. I thought I'd give Charlotte a little ride around the yard before I put the mower away."

"I saw that, and it was utterly adorable."

Bo entered the kitchen and returned to the dining room quickly with the entire jug of apple juice in her hands. With one quick turn of her wrist, she pulled off the lid and began chugging the cold beverage right out of the jug. Charlotte's eyes widened.

"Juice."

Lauren rolled her eyes at Bo's bad example but smiled at Charlotte. She bounced the little one in her arms as she spoke directly to her daughter.

"That's right. Apple juice, and mommy is clearly going to drink that whole container because there is no way she is putting it back in the fridge after she drank out of the jug."

Bo blushed, not that anyone could really see it because she already had pink cheeks from being out in the sun. Lauren could see it though; in the way she stopped chugging the drink and slowly lowered the bottle; in the way she looked at the jug and realized there was enough remaining juice to fill four glasses; in the way the fire chief silently contemplated if she could drink that much juice; and in the way she formed a fragile, innocent smile as she looked to Lauren for forgiveness without ever asking for it.

Lauren smiled and shook her head, pulling a bigger smile from the brunette. Charlotte was grinning with her eyes still wide and staring at the container of apple juice. Even Cassie was smiling; apparently she had been around Bo and Lauren long enough to read those unspoken conversations between the two of them. She closed the books on the table one by one, stood from her seat and walked around the table until she was next to Lauren. With ease, she scooped Charlotte out of the doctor's arms as she glanced at Bo and Lauren.

"You two are sickening with all your googley eyes for each other. It's so stinking adorable that I'm forever jealous. Until I find the man of my dreams, or he finds me."

Cassie shifted Charlotte to her left arm, realizing the little girl was covered in a rather thick layer of sunblock. She glanced over the child who was clearly in need of a bath.

All the while, Lauren and Bo remained silent, appreciating the moment as they did on so many occasions.

Cassie looked at them again and shook her head. Their mannerisms really were adorable, but she still took to teasing them about it any chance she could get.

"Okay you two need to get in the shower immediately, because even I know that look, which means you'll be running late for work afterwards."

It was a fact neither Bo nor Lauren could deny. Their smoldering attraction to one another was evident to any who knew them both, and Cassie's statement was completely on point.

"Yes, I think we should get cleaned up and ready for work."

Bo pushed her shoulders back a little as her smirk formed, pulling a blush from Lauren that instantly raised her body temperature. She said nothing, fearful that an aroused, crackling voice would be completely inappropriate in front of the babysitter and her daughter.

Cassie however, just shook her head at the exchange. She smiled, playfully shoving Lauren toward Bo as they walked toward their master bedroom.

"Go you two, now. Peanut and I have a date with unclogging her pours of all this sunblock. Isn't that right, Charlotte?"

To which the little one giggled and simply replied, "Juice!"

xxxx


	4. Chapter 4

_Sorry for the super long delay (busy time of year for me) - this one jumps around a bit so I hope it's not too confusing. Enjoy. And sorry for typos :)_

xxxx

With a brisk and cheerful pace, Lauren walked the halls of the hospital. She smiled at everyone she passed, even those that didn't take their eyes off the cellphones clutched in their palms as they walked. Even when one man ignored her politely offered "hello," Lauren never faltered. She was in far too good a mood to let something minor bring her down.

Bo always had that effect on her. A spontaneous romp before work kept Lauren on a high of happiness well into the wee hours of the work night. She even paced the hospital with an extra bounce in her step. To the unsuspecting stranger, Lauren was simply an oddity: a doctor working night shift who wore a genuine smile plastered across her face.

Lauren rounded the corner and glanced out a set of nearby windows on the way to her office. The dark night sky still shrouded everything from view. The absence of the sun gave the deceptive appearance of a cool night, but the doctor knew better. It was still hot and hazy outside. Fortunately for Lauren, the hospital kept a cool, almost chilly temperature as the standard in the building. Lauren had no complaints about that: it always made for comfortable working conditions.

She also had no complaints that the night had been proceeding at a smooth pace. Only a few more hours on shift and she could head home to see her family again. The thought made her smile grow even wider. Greeting Charlotte and Bo in the mornings always gave Lauren a swell of emotion. She loved them more than anything in life; she would give up everything in the world for them. There were no doubts about that.

Lauren loved thinking about her family, but she also tried to limit the amount of time she allowed them to occupy her thoughts while at work. It was a double edged sword really. Thinking about them always made Lauren wish she could be in two places at the same time. Loving her job was something that she had done for years far longer than she had been with her family, but the constant pull between both was sometimes emotionally draining. Lauren wanted to spend time with Bo and with Charlotte as much as possible, but she also wanted to work and practice medicine. While there really was no bullet proof solution to this issue, Lauren had accepted that it was just one of those topics that would pop into her head on occasion as something to think about. She tried to balance it as best as possible; like any other working mother trying to keep a healthy work/life balance.

Lauren remained lost in thought about her partner and her daughter for a few short moments before she arrived outside her closed office door. She swiped her badge along the scanner affixed to the wall before popping open the door. One step inside and the silence of her office was interrupted by dueling echoes of beeps from her cell phone and pager. Before she even caught a glimpse of the phone screen, the hospital loudspeaker barked out a code that told Lauren everything she needed to hear.

Lauren jammed the phone into her pocket as she quickly turned around and ran out of her office. Despite not even reading the messages flooding her phone, she had worked at this hospital long enough to know that two devices alerting her at the same time that a code is announced meant only one thing: Lauren was needed in the emergency room.

She was on call again that night, for no reason other than she still put in a few nights in the ER every month, as she had done for years. Jogging down the hall was familiar; a performance she had done on many prior occasions. It was during this jog that Lauren's mind shifted gears. Her brain blocked out all thoughts of Bo and Charlotte while focusing on her abilities to make quick, sharp decisions. She never knew what the ER would deliver to her on any night, but no matter the injury, Lauren always wanted to be at the top of her game.

Just as suspected, she stepped foot in to the emergency room as medics were wheeling in several individuals. The chaos contrasted greatly to the calm blanketing the emergency room over the past several hours. With a trained eye, Lauren scanned the scene just as a nurse handed her a clipboard.

"Major pile up right at our exit off the freeway. This one here is a male, age unknown. Found unconscious on the scene and not in any vehicle. He was pinned between a car and a guard rail by his arm only. BP 155 over 88. Severe lacerations to the right forearm. An EMT has her hand inside him arm and her fingers are literally pinching off the bleed."

Her feet moved before the nurse was finished speaking. Lauren jogged next to the patient's gurney as he was wheeled away down the hallway. She glanced over his body before looking at the clipboard. He was unconscious, thankfully so, as his forearm looked like it had been smashed with a rather large blunt object. The rest of his body showed no immediate injuries, contrary to her initial thoughts when the nurse said "not in any vehicle."

His muscle shirt was torn and scrappy looking but intentionally so, like a rock star or even a drug addict maybe. His blue jeans appeared rather clean despite the blood spots on the same side of his body as the injured arm. With sweeping glances over his body, Lauren assessed him externally while making quick decisions about injuries to his major organs. Trying to determine the exact cause of his injury was a guessing game mixed with memories from experience: she always hoped her quick decisions were accurate, but there was never a guarantee.

Leveraging those years of experience and intuition, Lauren focused on the injured man's arm as the priority. She tugged on his shirt and saw absolutely no immediate bruising on his abdomen. The other minor scrapes on his palms were nothing of concern, but the arm injury was major though; the swelling and bruising was already changing his skin to a purple color and the amount of blood that had covered his arm was extensive.

With quick moving hands, Lauren tossed the clipboard on the gurney and slid her fingers over his forearm. She maneuvered carefully around the medic's hand, still pressing off the torn artery in his arm. Lauren felt the protruding broken radius pushing from underneath the skin, and she felt confident he had also broken the ulna as well. The swelling on that side of his arm was worse, and only an x-ray would prove her right or wrong on the latter.

"Book this man an O.R."

Lauren directed her statement to another nurse as they crossed through a set of open double doors. The nurse shook her head and replied.

"There are no surgeons available for at least twenty minutes, Doctor Lewis. They were on ghost staff as it is tonight and both are in surgery now. We paged a few but no response yet. We are prepping O.R. 3 now but we have no guarantee we'll have a surgeon to handle it immediately."

Lauren shook her head. This man didn't have twenty minutes to wait. Lauren never hesitated. She may have felt a flutter in her gut but she made a quick decision. Losing this man's arm was not an option in her mind, especially due to the reason that there were no surgeons available. So Lauren did what she knew she could do.

"I'll do the surgery. It's a simple fix on the bleed, and any rookie can reset these bones. We're not going to wait, and I'm not going to have this man lose his arm simply because a surgeon is at dinner and can't get his ass here quickly."

Lauren's tone was sharp enough that the other medical personnel near her never questioned her statement. She simply knew that, if she were in this patient's situation, it is what she would want as well.

The elevator doors slid open and the two medics, one nurse and Lauren pushed the gurney inside. The doors had not even closed yet when the patient jolted to consciousness. With wide eyes, his deep gasps were joined by a mix of screams and complaints. His upper body shook as he tried to sit up.

"Oh fuck my bloody arm! Literally, I have a bloody arm!"

The man began to twist and turn, but one medic and nurse quickly shoved his shoulders and pinned him back on the gurney. Lauren pressed down on his shoulder firmly in an attempt to restrict his movements, hoping the other medic didn't lose her grip on the pinched off artery.

With a firm voice, Lauren spoke.

"Sir do not move. I know it hurts, but you need to be extremely still so we can get you into surgery. It's very important that you stop moving."

The man tightened his jaw and closed his eyes. A throaty growl followed. All the growling in the world wouldn't stop the pain he was feeling, but Lauren silently commended him on the attempt to refrain from screaming inside the closed elevator car.

"Surgery? Dear gods!" he uttered through gritted teeth.

"Sir does anything else hurt outside your arm?" Lauren quickly asked.

The man cringed his face in agony, but ignored her question.

"Oh my god, my arm! Please save my arm. I'm a damn martial arts instructor. I need my arm!"

The elevator quickly dinged as the doors slid open. The medics and nurse pushed the gurney out the doors into a cold, sterile hallway toward the operating room. Lauren observed the man as she spoke.

"I'll do everything I can. Please tell me other areas your feel pain, sir."

The man shook his head, simply repeating "my arm" over and over.

"What else hurts?" Lauren asked again.

Still, the man said nothing. His breathing shifted, and Lauren recongized the pain was more than the man could handle.

"What is your name?" Lauren quickly asked.

The man's eyes rolled in the back of his head as his eyelids fluttered closed. His vocal expression of anger started to dwindle, and surely the pain was about to knock him unconscious again, but on his last breath while awake he uttered the answer to Lauren's question.

"Vex. My name is Vex."

xxxx

Patience was a virtue, they say. Lauren repeated that phrase in her head often. When she would sit next to a patient in the recovery room and stare at them, not for any other reason than she wondered how they would feel, or if they would feel, the moment they woke up. She exhibited great patience in the past, including the time she spent with Kenzi before she even knew Kenzi's name. That was one of the most dear doctor-patient experiences in Lauren's career, and something deep in Lauren's gut triggered emotions with this patient that she hadn't felt since she treated Kenzi all those years ago.

The patient simply known as "Vex" was still unconscious, the tube of oxygen had been run under his nose and the IV was still threaded into his left arm. His spiky black hair was a mess and somewhat matted down, but his facial expression showed nothing but peace and calm. She imagined he would have been awake by now, but all patients reacted to anesthetic differently. And so Lauren stood there a beat longer, exhibiting all the patience of a saint.

The surgery was challenging, mostly because his bones had snapped with a very jagged, awkward breaks. The edge of his radius had sliced through his artery but the medic who pinched off his blood flow had kept him from bleeding out. Stitching that tear was the first injury Lauren addressed, and thankfully none of his nerves were severed. A few tests with electrode response showed his fingers working well, and so with his bones set properly, Vex was stitched up and wheeled off to recovery after a very quick and efficient surgery by none other than Doctor Lauren Lewis.

Lauren's behavior and mannerisms during surgery were precise and calculated. She did just what she always did, and just what she told Cassie that she did: pretend the person was a fake body. It allowed her to forget the man's pleading in the elevator and how his voice crackled when he asked her to save his arm. It allowed her to retrieve catalogued data and information stored in the depths of her mind that told her what nerve was where and how best to save this man from a high degree of damage. Lauren made educated, practiced decisions that gave this man the best chance he had: all because she simply pretended he wasn't real.

Lauren treated many additional patients afterwards that night, but none stuck in her mind like Vex did. It had been a long night really, and the end of her shift was just around the corner, but now that the ER had calmed, Lauren decided to linger at Vex's side during the last bit of free time she had before heading home for the day.

Other than being handed the patient's first name and occupation when he awoke in the elevator, Lauren discovered a lot more about him without anyone telling her. She looked over several of his tattoos and realized he had a profound appreciation for graffiti art, martial arts anime and foreign alphabets. She could not decipher any of the script inked over his body, but regardless of what it actually said, the artwork was phenomenal. She even attempted to stitch up his incision carefully to avoid any major damage to his tattoo work. While it was not completely avoidable, the lengths she went to for this man were far beyond any protocol.

An hour passed quickly with Lauren at Vex's side. His vitals remained strong, but he had yet to wake. Not everyone woke quickly, but the memories of a lengthy unconscious patient always reminded her of Kenzi. It made her heart ache from the pain that woman went through, and the last thing Lauren wanted was another comatose patient that became personal in any capacity. The doctor couldn't deny she had a few patients who really tugged at her heartstrings over the past few years, but she tried to keep that emotional side at bay when on the job. Lauren tried to remain objective, but clearly she had already failed seeing as to how she was standing in this patient's room when it was completely unnecessary. Shaking it off as best she could, Lauren took a deep breath and hoped Vex would wake soon. Hopefully he would be able to shed more light on how he was involved in this accident and how he was feeling post-surgery.

With a deep sigh, Lauren glanced at the clock and decided to pack up her things and head home. She was ready to see her daughter and her partner, hopefully enjoy a family round of peekaboo before catching some sleep and repeating the same schedule again. She glanced at Vex one last time, who slept peacefully in his hospital bed.

"No funny business while I'm gone. I hope to see you awake when I return."

With that, Lauren turned and exited the room. As she did on certain occasions with certain patients, Lauren advised the head of the nursing staff to page or call her immediately if this patient should wake during her absence. Only after that did she finally head home to her family.

xxxx

Stretched out on the bed, Lauren stared absently to the ceiling. Sleep evaded her as an overactive mind refused to rest even for a short while. Hours had passed while Bo slept soundly at her side. Rarely did these sleepless days make their presence known, but if Lauren had learned anything about herself, it was to listen to her mind and her body.

With a slow deep breath, Lauren sunk further into the pillow. She closed her eyes and tried to stop the patterned thoughts from repeating in her mind. Analyzing Vex's injuries, visions of Charlotte playing with toys, flashes of Bo dressed in her turnout gear, smiling faces of those who visit for Sunday supper, and the last image of Tamsin before she went undercover all kept her mind far more awake than she welcomed. Her body needed rest, but her mind sat in the driver's seat and would simply not allow her to rest.

The last time insomnia like this happened, Lauren went into a weeklong delirium of exhaustion. It was not an experience she wished to revisit, and with a hope to find a way to get a little bit of sleep, Lauren began to put herself through a mental exercise that solved her insomnia the prior time she had it. Forcing her mind to stop overthinking, Lauren simply envisioned a circle in the darkness; wobbly and loose like a limp piece of spaghetti. Her only mental task was to hold that vision of a circle in a perfectly still image. Strangely when one tries to do that, the circle continues to wobble and requires a great deal of creativity and thought to hold that single circle firm.

While the exercise takes patience, it always helped Lauren sleep. And just like prior occasions, it wore her mind out to the point of sleep. After an unrecognized amount of more time, Lauren finally yawned and drifted off to sleep for a short period of time. It was a deep enough sleep that she didn't dream at all, and she didn't even realize she had fallen asleep until she woke up to the sound of shattering glass jarring her to consciousness.

Lauren bolted upright in bed. She gasped for breath. Her eyes were dry, and she had to rub them to find any focus on her surroundings. Even without sight, she recognized Bo was next to her. The fire chief moved a slight bit slower than she, sitting up mere seconds after Lauren.

"What the fuck was that?!" Bo exclaimed as she bound from the bed.

Lauren sensed Bo move toward the door before she had enough focus to clear her sleepy eyes. Her mind was very groggy, so much that she could barely comprehend what was happening. The sound she heard definitely sounded like glass breaking. It was loud enough to wake her; much louder than anything her mind could make sense of.

Lauren's heart pounded. In the three seconds it took for Bo to leave the bed and tug open the bedroom door, the doctor's mind travelled the gamut of fear. Broken glass. Where was Charlotte? Was Cassie there? What time was it? What was happening? Trying to get her mind to focus, Lauren's thoughts raced quickly. With little balance, Lauren nearly fell out of the bed as her goal was to find Charlotte and ensure her safety. She held her arm out for balance as she raced behind Bo into the hallway.

Steps behind Bo, Lauren stumbled down the hallway on wobbly feet and took a quick glance into Charlotte's bedroom.

Empty.

Her heart thumped harder in her chest. The sun was shining in the windows, making Lauren's eyes adjust quickly. She turned to follow Bo further down the hallway, and only when she stepped into their open living room did a sudden relief flooded through Lauren.

There on the plush living room carpet sat Charlotte surrounded by piles of toys. She was grinning with wide eyes, her tiny hands gripping some random donut shaped piece of plastic.

The maternal side of Lauren was rolling full force, driving the doctor directly to Charlotte while she heard Cassie speaking to them from the adjoining kitchen.

"Don't step foot in the kitchen!"

Cassie's voice echoed in Lauren's mind but regardless of what broke, Lauren needed to hold her daughter. Seeing her was not enough to reassure Lauren that Charlotte was fine, but the moment she scooped the little one up from the floor, that racing heart beat calmed and her breathing eased quite a bit. Strange how just that physical connection with her daughter was able to soothe the most rattled of her nerves.

Bo, on the other hand, had made a beeline for Cassie in the kitchen as Lauren ran to Charlotte. Heeding part of Cassie's warning, Bo paused just outside the open archway as she glanced around the kitchen.

There, standing on a step ladder in the center of the kitchen was Cassie, and the entire floor surrounding her was covered in the shattered glass.

"What happened? Are you okay?!" Bo asked while glancing around the room.

Cassie covered her face and shook her head. When she pulled her hands away, her face was flush with embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry Bo. The light burned out, and I was changing out the light bulb when I realized how dusty this chandelier was, so brilliant me decided to take it down to clean. Which is exactly when I dropped it and the entire thing bounced off the ladder and smashed on the floor. Shit, what a mess."

"You're not cut anywhere, are you?" Lauren yelled from the living room.

"No, thankfully."

Bo put her hands up, palms outward.

"Okay just don't move off that ladder. Let me grab a broom and I'll start getting this floor cleared."

"I'm so sorry guys!" Cassie exclaimed.

With Charlotte safely in her arms, Lauren walked to where Bo stood, peering over the chief's shoulder in to the kitchen.

"Don't be sorry. As long as you're okay, it's no big deal."

Cassie cringed. "Ugh, but what a mess I've made. Shit."

"The mess can be cleaned. I almost had a heart attack from the sound, but the mess is okay." Lauren replied.

The doctor laughed gently, tapping her hand over her heart. Cassie smiled back, as did Bo who was equally as relieved as Lauren that it was just a light fixture and nothing worse.

"Yeah me too. I thought we were getting robbed. Believe it or not, this broken light is a relief." Bo replied as she gestured to the messy floor.

"Well I'm glad you feel that way, but I'm still really sorry."

"Hey, it's okay," Lauren repeated. "Besides, I always hated that light fixture."

Bo looked over her shoulder with surprise as she grabbed the broom from the nearby closet.

"You did?"

Lauren nodded. "Uh, um, well yes. But now we can just get a new one. Something a little less chandelier and a lot more practical."

Bo smiled and saluted Lauren.

"Whatever you wish, dear. We can go shopping this afternoon."

xxxx

 _A short while later_

Walking into the home improvement store, Bo lifted Charlotte into the child seat portion of the shopping cart and buckled her in. The brunette made faces at her daughter, hoping to keep the little one in a cheerful mood while they shopped for a new kitchen light fixture.

"Ready to race around the store in your custom designed, navy blue, race car shopping cart, Charlotte?"

Charlotte smiled but said nothing. She was mesmerized by all the lights and shelves of products stacked high toward the high ceiling.

"Lighting is in aisle seventeen," Lauren announced as she read over the store layout map.

"To aisle seventeen then," Bo replied.

The brunette made car engine sounds as she pushed the cart down the wide aisle. Lauren loved the connection Bo had with Charlotte. The fire chief may have had a strong outer physique, but she really had the softest, most gentle heart. She showed it in her daily interactions with Charlotte when they giggled as Bo made funny faces; when she held Lauren snugly in her arms after a slow night of lovemaking; when she sat quietly with Kenzi after a rough day. Bo Dennis was the most sincere and caring woman Lauren had ever met, and she never failed to acknowledge it.

"Bo you are so good with her," Lauren whispered as they navigated toward the light fixtures.

Bo smiled. "You know I was terrified of being a horrible parent."

Lauren slid her hand around the crook of Bo's elbow, leaning into her as they strolled the few remaining steps to the lighting aisle.

"The last thing you are is a horrible parent. I'd say you're the best mother Charlotte could ever have."

Bo blushed from the compliment. She paused their forward movement just as they rounded the corner into aisle seventeen. Bo stared at Lauren with pure adoration. The doctor knew it too, as she immediately blushed from the way Bo was looking at her.

Lauren looked away briefly, trying to maintain some composure in such a public setting.

"Babe….you're looking at me in a very naughty way."

Bo blew Lauren a kiss before resuming their stroll toward the light fixtures.

"Good, that's how I intended it."

Lauren tried to focus on the first light fixtures she spotted, but Bo's words were distracting her beyond belief. Bo continued making car engine noises as she pushed Charlotte along the aisle, but Lauren was working hard to focus on the task at hand. She was so focused that she didn't hear Bo's suggestions until the brunette repeated it for the third time.

"Lauren? Do you like this one?"

Feeling Bo's hand on her upper arm, Lauren quickly snapped out of her daze and turned her head to look at Bo.

"Sorry, what?"

Bo smiled as her brow creased, her curiosity clearly on display.

"I was just asking if you liked this ceiling light? It's just basic and functional; nothing frilly like the old one."

Lauren shifted her eyes in the direction to which Bo pointed. Bo was right: the lamp was definitely basic. It was a simple semi-circular glass light covering around a mount that held two light bulbs. It would easily occupy the space on their kitchen ceiling, and Lauren thought it would certainly work just as they needed it.

"I like it: very simple."

Lauren reached for the price tag, smiling even wider at the discounted price.

The doctor continued, "And judging by the price, I say this light fixture has found itself a new home."

"Home!"

The little bundle of joy burst out with the word "home" as clear as day. Both Lauren and Bo froze in place and simply stared at Charlotte, who was smiling and holding on to the shopping cart railing with her tiny hands.

"That's right punkin, _home_ ," Bo repeated.

"Home," Charlotte stated once more.

Lauren immediately leaned in and kissed Charlotte on the head. Her pride was seeping from every pore, not only that Charlotte had learned a new word but that she was speaking so clearly.

"You are such a smart, little girl," Lauren whispered as she peppered a few more kisses to Charlotte's cheek.

Bo was quick to agree.

"Yes she is. In fact, I say we buy this light and get home where we can play with some toys. What do you think, Charlotte?"

The word "toys" was enough to bring their daughter to a near hysterical happy moment.

"Toys!"

Charlotte's little voice squeaked it out a few times over as she tapped her open palms on the shopping cart handle.

"Great Bo, now we need to get home to some T-O-Y-S before this one has a fit and busts out with her loudest cries ever."

Bo smiled at Lauren as she reached for a boxed light fixture from the shelf. She placed it carefully in the cart before tickling Charlotte into a fit of giggles.

"I say we have fifteen minutes before that happens. Ready to race to the checkout lane?" Bo asked.

Lauren smirked, knowing the shopping cart was about to become a makeshift version of an Indy race car.

"Go ahead. I'll meet you in line," Lauren replied.

Bo nodded, immediately resuming making car noises and putting an even bigger smile on Charlotte's face. She moved ahead of Lauren, pushing the shopping cart quickly toward the front of the store.

Lauren walked at an average pace toward the same destination, knowing she would reconnect with her family before they made it through the checkout line. She was happy that their time in the store was brief. Finding a light fixture so quickly was efficient, and while Lauren thoroughly enjoyed her time with Bo and Charlotte, she would much rather spend time with them somewhere else. Images of a tropical island popped into Lauren's mind, and thoughts of a family vacation immediately began to form. She would certainly bring that up to Bo sometime soon. Maybe the Fire Chief had a vacation destination in mind, and Lauren would happily entertain almost any location as long as it was safe and kid friendly.

Lauren turned the corner of the aisle and caught a glimpse of Bo handing the cashier cash in exchange for their bagged purchase. Charlotte was staring upward, and Lauren was certain she was amazed by the high ceiling and bright lights. The doctor stuck her tongue out at Charlotte as she approached the little one, who immediately giggled at the sight.

"All set?" Lauren asked Bo without taking her eyes off Charlotte, who at this point was sticking her tongue out at Lauren in return.

"Yes we are. Ready to get some playtime in with peanut here before we have to work tonight?" Bo asked as they began walking toward the exit.

Lauren scooped Charlotte out of the shopping cart and snuggled her close. The little girl was more interested in the sliding doors than in snuggling with her mother, but that didn't stop Lauren from holding her a little tighter.

"I am definitely ready for some playtime. Maybe we can snack on some fruit cups too."

Bo's eyes widened. She glanced at Lauren, who tossed her wink. She couldn't hide her smile, but she refrained from laughing.

"Whoa babe, playtime and fruit cups. I don't know about all this: sounds like you're getting Charlotte set for a dangerous lifestyle," Bo joked.

Lauren laughed first, but she kept the banter going. "Wait til you see the press on tattoos I want to buy her."

Pulling the car keys from her pocket, Bo opened the passenger door and pushed the seat forward to aid in getting Charlotte situated in the back seat of their Camaro. It was a two door vehicle, but Bo had put the car seat in it enough times that she had become a pro on getting Charlotte buckled in without bumping her head off the ceiling anymore.

"Ooooh did you hear that Charlotte? Mamma is gonna get you a tattoo!"

Bo took Charlotte from Lauren's arms and slid her into the car seat. She buckled her in, all the while Charlotte was kicking her little legs around as every word Bo said brought excitement to the little one. She may not have understood anything that Bo was saying, but Charlotte was one happy little kid at the moment.

"Too," Charlotte said.

"That's right say it with me: tah – too," Bo repeated.

"Too," Charlotte said again.

With Charlotte all buckled in, Bo climbed out the vehicle and pushed the passenger seat back in place. She held the door for Lauren, who climbed in and buckled herself in before Bo pushed the door closed.

Once she slid into the driver's seat, Bo brought the Camaro's engine to life. She looked over her shoulder at Charlotte, who was listening intently to the revving of the engine.

"Vroom, vroom," Bo said to the little one.

It prompted Charlotte to kick her feet again as her excitement grew and grew.

"Roo, room," Charlotte repeated over and over.

Racing the cart around the store, and now making car engine sounds with Charlotte made Lauren think about Bo's passion for muscle cars. It made Lauren think about Bo's interest in car shows, and how their busy lives had kept them from going to any like Bo used to do frequently.

Lauren slid her hand onto Bo's thigh, squeezing it once as they left the hardware store parking lot.

"Babe?" Lauren asked.

"Yeah hon?" Bo replied as she steered them onto the street.

"Do you have any car shows coming up that you'd like to attend? I thought maybe the three of us could go together."

Bo took her eyes from the road momentarily, glancing at Lauren with a huge smile on her face.

"Really?" Bo asked.

Lauren squeezed Bo's thigh again.

"Yes, really. I remember clearly how, during our first date, you told me about the car shows you used to go to. I was thinking maybe you'd still like to go to one again."

Bo slid her right hand off the steering wheel, capturing Lauren's hand and pulling it to her lips. The brunette peppered kisses all over the back of Lauren's hand. Her heart was soaring, not just because she loved car shows and looking at all sorts of muscle cars, but because Lauren remembered, and she wanted them to go as a family. Bo took a deep breath, amazed at the happiness her life had become.

"I would love that, Lauren. So, so much."

Lauren's heart swelled to match Bo's happiness.

"Good, because I think you're already making Charlotte a huge fan of fast cars."

Lauren looked over her shoulder, and Bo glanced in the rear view mirror. They both caught sight of their daughter, fighting off a nap as her eye lids were drifting closed. But no matter how tired that little girl had become, she still managed to mumble a few words before she fell completely asleep.

"vroo, roo, roooom…"

xxxx

 _Later that evening_

Bo stepped down from the ladder carefully, ensuring her footing with every step. She placed the screwdriver back in the tool box and walked across the kitchen until she reached the doorway. With a quick swipe of the light switch, Bo turned on the new ceiling light fixture and flooded the kitchen with a brilliant light.

"Success," Bo announced.

She glanced to Lauren, who was sitting at the kitchen table next to Charlotte. Their daughter was securely seated in her highchair to Lauren's right.

The doctor smiled and clapped her hands as she admired the new ceiling light. It was perfect: simple and functional. It provided adequate lighting for the kitchen without any hassle of cleaning a bulky, fancy fixture.

Charlotte seemed to like it as well, because she took one look at Lauren clapping and mimicked her mother's response.

"That looks so much better than the old one. Great job hon. Even Charlotte can see what a great job you did."

Bo walked over to the open tool box, propped up on the kitchen counter. She returned all her tools to their rightful places, making sure all supplies were packed away and cleaned up. She paused for a moment to look at the ceiling light.

"It does look good, doesn't it?"

"Yes it does," Lauren replied as she stood from her chair.

"Well I suppose having one break wasn't a total loss then. At least we have a new one that we both like," Bo replied.

"Agreed," Lauren answered.

Bo glanced to the clock on the wall. The day had gone by so fast, and she should have slept more than the short nap after the trip to the hardware store. But like a trooper, Bo never complained once. She fought off a yawn while leaning against the wall. "Although no more nap time available because it's already time to get ready for work and get to the station."

Lauren glanced at her cell phone resting on the kitchen table. Time surely did fly that day, but Lauren was simply not in the mood to go to work yet. Slowly, she stood from her chair and walked over to Bo. With ease, Lauren slid her arms around the Fire Chief from behind. She placed a kiss to Bo's cheek before resting her chin on the brunette's shoulder.

"I'm not in the mood to work tonight. Can't we just call in sick for once?" Lauren whined.

Bo spun in Lauren's arms, facing the doctor and wrapping her strong arms around her.

"Mmm, that sounds perfect. But I don't want to put the station in a jam without a chief tonight."

Lauren nodded, pulling Bo in for a tight hug and melting into her embrace more and more by the minute.

"I suppose that is a good reason to work. I guess I need to check on my patients anyway, so it sounds like we both have responsibilities that need our attention. Dammit why are we always so responsible?"

Bo laughed, kissing Lauren's neck slowly until her lips rested by the doctor's ear.

"I love that you're responsible," Bo whispered.

Lauren smiled, squeezing Bo and remaining in her arms a little while longer.

"I'm glad that you love that I'm responsible, but just wait until you see those crazy press on tattoos I'm going to get Charlotte."

Bo laughed as she stepped out of Lauren's hold. She playfully smacked Lauren on the ass.

"I can't wait to see them. Maybe you can get one that says _hot mamma_?"

Lauren laughed out loud as she walked toward Charlotte.

"Ha! I'd say you're the hot one, babe."

Bo blushed and shook her head.

"Go. Get ready for work before I corner you in the shower and delay you again. I'll get Charlotte cleaned up before Cassie gets here."

Begrudgingly Lauren walked a few steps toward the living room.

"Okay, okay. But let's continue this conversation later. Maybe we can get tattoos when we go on our next family vacation."

Bo lifted Charlotte from her high chair, shaking off some crumbs that stuck to her bib.

"First a car show then a vacation? Sounds like someone is itching for a little road trip."

Lauren paused in the doorway, thinking about Bo's statement. Maybe she was in the mood for a little getaway: just the three of them.

"Maybe I am," Lauren replied.

Bo smiled. She walked next to Lauren and kissed her on the cheek.

"I think it sounds like a great idea. Let's talk about it over breakfast when we get home from our shifts tomorrow morning."

"Perfect."

xxx

 _The Following Morning_

Lauren's right arm dangled off the sofa, her eyes fighting to stay open. Her body relaxed further into the cushions and her breathing slowed as it did every time she fell asleep. The night shift had run her ragged. She never took a break that night except to use the restroom and gulp water or coffee on her way to see another patient. It seemed the entire city was accident prone during her shift, giving her quite an array of emergencies and non-emergencies to address. Several doctors worked diligently along her side, the sheer volume of patients overwhelming all the hospital departments and staff from sunset until sunrise. While Lauren dreaded nights like those, she had worked through enough of them that she always handled the pressure extremely well. And while she didn't like skipping meals, on occasion it was just something she had to do.

She also did not like having zero time to call or text Bo during a work shift either, but the nonstop pace of the hospital kept her from even checking her phone once that entire night. Three years into their solid relationship and Lauren accepted that some nights, one or both of them couldn't make time to chat with the other. It was the nature of their careers, both women had become quite familiar with the routine. If anything, it made Lauren want that family vacation time more than ever.

When Lauren wrapped up her shift as the sun began to rise, she had finally read and replied to the two messages Bo had sent her several hours prior: one about adding protein powder to the grocery list and one about catching one of her firefighters in the equipment room with his girlfriend. Apparently Bo and Lauren weren't the only ones who had lived out a fantasy in that space. It had given Lauren a good laugh after a long work night, and only after that did she head home from work for the day.

Lauren blinked her dry eyes repeatedly and glanced to the small brass timepiece centered above their living room fireplace. Despite her blurred vision from exhaustion, she still read the time as 8:03am. She had left the hospital at 7:00am sharp, drove directly home, gave her daughter Charlotte a good morning kiss, and all but collapsed on the sofa by 7:45am. Despite her hunger making its presence known, Lauren was simply too tired to eat. Even if someone spoon fed her a meal, the thought of using any energy to chew sounded like too much work to consider in her tired state.

Ignoring the rumbles from her stomach, Lauren had dozed off once already. It was only for maybe one or two minutes, but the innocent sounds escaping her daughter's lips brought her back to consciousness. She fluttered open her eyelids again and shifted her gaze in the direction of the oversized recliner. Greeting her view was Cassie, comfortably holding Charlotte protectively in her arms. Despite her exhaustion, there were multiple reasons for the smile that quickly formed on Lauren's face.

As always, hearing the sweet sounds Charlotte would make right before she was about to fall asleep carried nothing but innocence and comfort. Lauren lived for moments like that, and she always tried to commit the sounds to memory. Charlotte had just passed her first birthday. Those first few months after Lauren had given birth were quite a learning opportunity. Both Lauren and Bo navigated motherhood like any other new parents, with excessive questions, diligent attention to the smallest of changes and pride unlike anything either of them had experienced prior. Without a doubt, Charlotte had her fussy moments, but Lauren loved her daughter more than life itself.

Although there were mornings, like today, when Charlotte just wanted to sleep a little longer and take a morning nap earlier than usual. Lauren always liked to think it was her daughter's way of wanting to be on a night schedule like her mothers. Lauren rubbed her eyes while staring at Cassie and Charlotte, her gaze almost catatonic due to her lack of food and lack of rest. Despite her weary muscles, that smile remained fixed in place; the pure joy of her daughter resting comfortably always brightened even the most difficult mornings. Cassie glanced from Charlotte to Lauren, returning a smile to the sleepy doctor.

"Go sleep, Lauren. She'll be asleep in a few minutes for an early nap and I'll put her in her room."

Lauren nodded to Cassie's whisper, but she remained in her stretched out position on the sofa while mentally searching for strength to get up and make her way to the bedroom. She usually waited for Bo to get home before falling completely asleep, but her body was winning the battle pushing her to proceed to the bedroom without her. Lauren honestly doubted she'd last another five minutes. With a deep breath, the sleepy blonde forced herself upright to a sitting position. She actually felt dizzy, her thoughts and movements so distorted that her doctor mentality reasoned she must consume some form of nourishment before sleeping. With that decision made, she placed her palms on the cushions, preparing to stand up and give in to her need for food.

"I'm just going to grab a snack first and then crash."

Lauren's voice sounded groggy, the haze of exhaustion dropping her voice an octave.

"Leftover quiche on the top shelf in the fridge," Cassie replied.

Lauren perked up at hearing the words _leftover quiche._ She glanced at Cassie with surprise.

Seeing Lauren's surprise, Cassie quickly retorted. "What? I can cook. Sort of."

Lauren smiled at Cassie's statement, but she was definitely not going to turn down leftover quiche. Real food and one minute in a microwave meant she would be in bed within the next ten minutes. Lauren never thought she'd love the words _leftover quiche_ so much in her life as she did right now.

"Thank you," Lauren replied, her voice again barely a whisper as to avoid waking Charlotte who had succumbed to sleep and rested peacefully in Cassie's arms. The doctor found the strength to stand, a twinge of sadness floating on the edges of her heart as she wished desperately to be the one snuggling Charlotte as she slept. Unfortunately Lauren lacked strength and energy to be that person at the moment, and so with resolve, she stood up and shuffled her feet across the carpeted living room toward the kitchen.

Lauren grabbed a clean plate and pulled the quiche from the refrigerator. She haphazardly cut an oversized slice and tossed it on the plate. She didn't even both to cover it, shoving it in the microwave and blasting it for one minute while her eyes drooped further toward unconsciousness. She faintly heard movement from the living room, recognizing that Cassie took Charlotte to her crib in the bedroom.

Waiting for the microwave to finish its job, Lauren poured a glass of water and chugged it, the chill temporarily waking her senses a bit. The annoying beep from the microwave caught her off guard; she meant to open the door before that damn thing sounded but lost track of time staring in to the glass of water.

Too tired and lazy to sit while eating, Lauren simply stood at the counter and stabbed her fork into the steaming hot meal. And in that moment, another annoying sound echoed in her ears: the unfortunate sound of her cell phone ringing from the dining room. Lauren dropped her fork before the bite even made it her mouth. She ran faster than her body wanted to support, the mother determined to reach that phone before it had a chance to ring again and wake a sleeping baby. She scrambled for her work bag propped on the dining room table and yanked the device from the front pocket just as it began to ring again. With a quick swipe on the screen, Lauren answered the call and stopped the annoying sound from causing any further disturbance. She lifted the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

Before Lauren heard any reply, loud screeching sounds and screaming blared in her ear. The volume was so great that she pulled the phone an arm's length away, shaking her head and opening her jaw as her ear drum tried to recover from that horrible sound. She glanced the screen, the name "Hale Santiago" staring back at her. She pulled the phone back to her ear and spoke.

"Hale?"

Lauren heard several male voices muffled and blurred together. Initially, she could not isolate one over another. She said hello two more times, a little louder than the time prior, and that is when she finally received a recognizable response.

"Doc? It's Hale. Can you hear me?"

"Yes, yes I can hear you. Where are you? Are you alright?"

"Lauren, you need to get to the hospital right away."

Lauren wrinkled her brow, trying desperately to understand what Hale was saying. "What?"

The loud sounds echoing through the phone quieted slightly, allowing Lauren to hear Hale's next words more clearly.

"Doc, we got a call, we went to the fire, and there was an accident."

It took maybe half of one second for Lauren's heart to pound inside her chest and her brain to wake fully. The loud sounds she was hearing through the phone were sirens. The fear that soared through her body traveled so quickly that words spewed from her mouth before she even realized she was talking.

"An accident? Oh my god, is it Bo?! Is she okay?"

His voice was panicked, but Hale spoke clearly and the next few words that traveled from Hale's lips to Lauren's ears were words she hoped to never hear.

"Doc, Bo's been hurt on the job. We're on our way to the hospital now. You need to meet us there. Please...hurry!"

xxxxxxxx


	5. Chapter 5

_Hi Everyone! Hope you're all having a great weekend! I know it's been awhile, but a refresher back to Beyond the Flame may help this chapter (and some of the Lauren's thoughts) make more sense for those of you that maybe don't remember it. :) Thanks for sticking with this one!_

 _xxxxxxx_

Chapter 5

A long forgotten fear reared its ugly head. Despite wearing a few new creases by her eyes and needing twice as long to recover from a rare night of over indulgence, Lauren sat in the passenger seat of her car feeling like a younger version of herself. An escalated heart rate and a consistent tremor in her hands were physical indicators of Lauren's fear. She recognized them, even focused on them in an attempt to hold back the dozen other emotions raging beneath the surface. It had taken years for Lauren to accept that she could not stop bad things from happening, but in this moment all she could ask herself was _why not_.

 _Bo's been hurt._

Three simple words formed the most complex of emotions. The statement floated through Lauren's mind, the predominant thought of agony overshadowing the rest. Most mental repetitions of the phrase echoed in Lauren's head just as Hale spoke it on the phone: breathless, nervous, scared, urgent. One hundred times Lauren replayed his words over and over, until her mind took the phrase one step further. Without any initial realization of what her mind was doing, Lauren mentally heard Hale's voice morph into Tamsin's, and _Bo's been hurt_ shifted to _We didn't know he had a gun, doc_.

The lump lodged in Lauren's throat grew in size, so much that Lauren held her breath while attempting to hold back a full blown scream of terror. She pressed her palms fiercely against her thighs, grasping at her current reality while fighting off memories long forgotten. Fears of Bo's injuries melded with the remnants of grief from Stephanie's death. The combination of worlds colliding in Lauren's heart and mind was beyond difficult. It was physically suffocating.

Lauren closed her eyes and forced a slow, deep breath from within. A brief moment of embarrassment ricocheted inside her mind as Lauren considered this was the first time in months she thought of Stephanie. Time passing had kept that history tucked in the deepest confines of Lauren's mind. Until now. Until the fear of loss reminded her so quickly of the feelings of loss. Choosing this moment to think of Stephanie caused Lauren to feel instant shame. Such irony for not appreciating her memory in a better light; a happier moment instead of this heart aching, uncertain one where the love of her present triggered a painful memory of the love of her past.

The tears balanced precariously on her lashes but Lauren's focus as precise as a surgeon's hand kept her composure surprisingly calm. The slow breaths and lack of outward screaming provided a quiet peace that anchored Lauren tightly to a slender sliver of rational hope.

Lauren barely remembered anything Hale said after advising she get to the hospital. He mentioned something about Bo being taken to the hospital by ambulance from the scene of a fire. He had offered no other information on that short call, other than he would call Kenzi.

Lauren's eyes remained closed and her tension filled muscles remained rigid, just as her mind remained distraught and pain swelled in her chest with each beat of her heart.

Despite the best care her hospital could provide, Lauren was a doctor. She had seen the best and worst outcomes for patients in that very building. Her logical, medical persona wanted to remain calm in the face of uncertainty, but minute by minute, the woman felt her heart crumbling fast as the fear of the unknown swallowed her like the flames of a raging inferno.

A tight squeeze on Lauren's forearm pulled her eyes wide open. It was a welcome recognition that she was not alone. Glancing to the driver's seat, Cassie wore an equally fearful expression but offered a small smile. It was one that told Lauren everything would be okay, even though neither of them could know that. Cassie pulled her hand away from Lauren, returning contact with the steering wheel, where her other hand gripped the wheel with visibly white knuckles.

"I'll pull in front of the ER and drop you off before I park."

Lauren nodded, wanting to smile at the kind gesture but finding no muscle strength to form even the slightest of smiles. The doctor glanced over her shoulder, laying her eyes on Charlotte wrapped comfortably in her car seat. Despite the speed at which Lauren and Cassie transferred the sleeping child from the house to the car, Charlotte had not woken up once. She always slept well in a car too, the gentle hum of the freeway relaxing her to sleep every time Lauren put her in the back seat and set off on any length of travel.

Her daughter. Their daughter. She didn't want to think the worst and so instead, Lauren thought the best. She thought of that little girl she loved beyond explanation. Lauren thought of the day she gave birth to Charlotte, when she refused to let go of Bo's hand during the entire labor. It was a magical moment in their lives. Such innocence. Such beauty. A little girl now sleepy sounding, unaware of the danger her other mother was in, or that Lauren teetered on the edge of a hysterical breakdown.

Lauren refocused her eyes ahead, recognizing they were only a few streets away from the hospital. She reached for the center console, digging between a few old gas station receipts to pull her hospital badge from the space it rested in between her work shifts. Lauren quickly clipped it to her shirt. She took a deep breath, the adrenaline pumping through her body battling with her heightened fatigue. Surely one or the other would force her collapse.

"Cassie, I'm going to take Charlotte with me while you park. Would you mind calling Evony and telling her what is happening. I think I…I need her to get a hold of Tamsin. I need her here."

Lauren's voice lacked the quiver she expected. The tone mirrored her typical medical persona, as if she were rattling off a list of pain medications and their side effects. She knew it was the fear, overwhelming her to the point of near emotional shut down. Not that Lauren thought Evony would budge, but she had to try. Lauren's emotions were bottled inside her. She wanted to let them out but the shock kept them contained. If anyone could help her through this, it was Tamsin. She needed her best friend here for emotional support, and she wasn't afraid to make demands of Evony if need be.

Cassie steered the car up the long ramp toward the hospital emergency room entrance.

"No problem. I'll also bring the diaper bag with me."

The ramp was clear until they neared the top. Two ambulances were idling immediately outside the emergency room doors. The lights affixed the top continued to flash but the sirens were silenced. One fire truck half parked on the sidewalk caused Lauren to gasp. She covered her mouth quickly, the sight bringing forth a swell of tears cradled along her lower eyelids. In bold print, _Station 55_ sat squarely on the back end of the truck. Lauren tried to digest the reality of the moment but it flew at her too fast to comprehend. She knew what was happening, but her mind battled against it with all she could possibly muster.

Lauren unbuckled her seat belt before Cassie shifted the car into park. She scanned the surrounding area but no recognizable personnel lingered outside. With the vehicle finally stopped, Lauren climbed out of the car. She barely recognized the heat from the morning air as she yanked open the vehicle's back door. Her trembling hands calmed the moment she unbuckled Charlotte from her car seat. With the most gentle of motions, Lauren lifted her sleeping daughter from the seat and climbed out of the car, kicking the door closed with her foot. She snuggled Charlotte within both arms, praying this little girl's other mother was safe and sound inside the walls of her hospital.

She nodded to Cassie through the car window, who moments later drove off to the parking garage. Lauren's quick paces carried her along the familiar path to the emergency room entrance. The automatic doors parted, the cool air rushing over her as she crossed the threshold inside. The admissions counter lie directly ahead, Tara sitting in her usual seat. Lauren walked toward her, not needing to utter one word as Tara glanced at her while she approached. Tara jumped out of her seat as she grabbed the phone receiver and pressed it to her ear.

Lauren could read her lips mouthing _Doctor Lewis is here_ before the receiver was returned to the phone cradle. Lauren ran her hand over Charlotte's back in calm even strokes, the motion soothing the doctor more than her sleeping daughter. A quick glance to her left and the sight of a waiting room full of fire fighters and police officers dropped Lauren's heart from her chest down to her gut. She paused her paces, making certain of her legs' ability to carry her on before covering the remaining distance to Tara waiting for her.

Tara circled from behind the desk and met Lauren in the open lobby area. Lauren could not speak, her emotions choking her words in her throat. Tara quickly spoke first.

"She's in with Doctor Miller now. They're taking good care of her. He'll be out soon with an update."

Lauren never responded, simply shaking her head and attempting to rid her heart of the pain slowly infecting her hope.

"Doc!"

Lauren turned away from Tara as she looked over her shoulder. Hale barreled at her as fast as his firefighter boots would allow. He was dressed in standard firefighter gear from the chest down. His vocal recognition of her presence brought half the fire department out of the waiting room, lingering just this side of the hallway behind Hale. A burst of energy propelled Lauren toward him, her need for support growing exponentially as her fear consumed her.

"Tell me…"

She barely whispered those two words as the tears spilled down her cheeks. Her upper body began to shake, enough that Charlotte began to stir from her rest. Hale reached for Charlotte, Lauren grateful for his grasp because she could barely keep herself from falling to the floor. With Charlotte safely in Hale's arms, the firefighter rocked the little girl slowly as she began to wake.

Firefighter Ryan Lambert had come to Lauren's side as well, sliding an arm around the trembling doctor to give her the physical support she needed. Lauren latched on to him for support as she glanced from him to Hale and back again. The scent of fire lingering on Ryan's clothing and hair was faint, but Lauren recognized it immediately as a larger wave of uneasiness settled in her stomach.

"Please tell me something," Lauren whispered.

Hale nodded. "It's her arm, or her shoulder, or I don't know, hell, maybe her upper back. A beam fell and hit her pretty hard."

Lauren held on to Ryan tighter, grateful for his strength. Truthfully he held most of her weight as her legs had lost most of their abilities to hold her up. She held the edge of his coat as hard as she could, needing something concrete to grasp as she started to lose grip on her hopes.

Ryan felt her unsteadiness. He felt her slumping but instantly pulled her to her feet. He squeezed Lauren's hand, bringing her mind back into focus on the moment. Only when she finally looked at him did he add more detailed information to Hale's initial explanation of the accident.

"Some old ass building where the beams were shit. We didn't realize the structure was so damaged until we were inside. The beam fell so fast…it was a heavy son-of-a…"

He stopped short of his words as he looked toward Charlotte, changing his tone before continuing.

"…It was heavy. Took me, Sanders and Brown to yank it off her."

Lauren glanced away. She stared at a spot on the floor, unwilling to accept her own thoughts and feelings. Lauren's response was paralyzed. She heard his words, but she had yet to hear the words she was looking for. Fear overtook Lauren quickly. She didn't want to be in this room with anyone. She didn't want to feel her chest about to explode with fear. She didn't want to be thinking the worst about the love of her life, and she certainly didn't want to ask the ultimate question of Bo's condition.

Ryan squeezed her hand again, finally getting Lauren to look him in the eye. Silence filled her ears but just a moment.

"We got her out Doctor Lewis," he whispered.

Lauren gulped. She nodded despite being barely able to comprehend it all. Her mind processed their statements at a snail's pace. She visualized every nerve, muscle, artery, and bone structure in the arm, chest and back. She imagined all different size beams, falling and landing on Bo in the middle of a fire. She overanalyzed angles, building materials, velocity, impact, and the strength of the human body. She considered potential injuries as countless complications flooded her mind. The potential life threatening injuries dominated all the rest.

"Um, is she…was she unconscious?" Lauren asked.

Ryan shook his head from side to side.

"She was knocked out when the beam hit her, but by the time we got her to the ambulance she was awake, screaming to all high heavens while holding her shoulder."

Lauren took a deep breath, the exhale issuing a gratitude of thanks as the doctor knew the value of a person's consciousness after being hit by a heavy object.

"Good. Screaming is good. Better than unconscious."

Lauren's words trailed off as her mind continued to work as fast as it could. She thought about the human body and its capacity to survive. She thought about medical procedures and potential surgeries to fix injuries her mind had considered possible. While Lauren's mind worked at warp speed, Lauren's heart remained frozen in her chest; the fear mimicking emotional Novocain and creating a dreamlike effect. Lauren had yet to allow her emotions to erupt. Single tears coated her eye lashes but no flood of cries had yet to come. More than anything, Lauren simply stood in Ryan's hold as nothing more than a shell of herself.

Hale reached out and placed his hand on Lauren's shoulder.

"We're hopeful, doc."

Hale's words were comforting but Lauren ignored them. Her focus shifted to Charlotte, who blinked her eyes while looking around the room as she woke. Charlotte reached for Lauren, her tiny voice squeaking out her typical indicator that she was about to unleash her own tired cries any moment.

The momentary threat of collapse had passed. Lauren found a surge of strength as she looked upon her daughter. With confidence, Lauren took Charlotte from Hale's arms back into her own. She held the little girl close and kissed her daughter's cheek, the little girl fighting off her haze with an uncomfortable cry.

Ryan smiled, trying to lighten the moment and give Lauren hope. "Chief sure can scream really loud. Has quite a set of lungs on her. I hope this little one doesn't follow her example."

Lauren bounced Charlotte carefully in her arms, rubbing her back again and soothing her daughter as best should could despite the commotion of the emergency room. Ryan Lambert patted Charlotte on the head, the little girl quieting her cry while she stared at the shiny reflective material across his jacket. The adrenaline continued to fuel Lauren's weary and emotional state, but it was barely enough to stand safely for any length of time.

"I think I need to sit down," Lauren whispered.

The firefighters guided Lauren to the waiting room, where the rest of the squad offered polite hellos and supportive nods. She chose the chair closest to the door, the need to rest her muscles outweighing her need to disappear into the back corner of the room. Yet despite sitting as the center of attention while she awaited information about Bo's condition, Lauren's mind certainly did disappear.

Her thoughts retreated to the darkest spaces in her head, where images of previous patients injured by fire flashed to mind. Burns. Scars. The sounds of their sobs when a bandage was replaced. The maddening agony inflicted upon their bodies when fighting off infection. Overwhelming depression when they looked into a mirror. Even with closed eyes, the visuals appeared far more disturbing than ever before.

"Any update?"

Upon hearing Cassie's voice, Charlotte squirmed in Lauren's arms. The doctor shifted her daughter in her lap, allowing her to stare at the room of firefighters and all the shiny reflective tape covering various parts of their gear. Cassie slid in the seat next to Lauren, carefully placing the diaper bag by her feet.

Lauren shook her head.

"She's with Doctor Miller. But Ryan said she was conscious, so I've made that my lifeline to hope that she's going to be okay."

Cassie placed a gentle hand to Lauren's forearm. It pulled Lauren's catatonic gaze to Cassie, the support of her friend nearly driving the fragile doctor to tearful sobs.

"She's going to be okay, Lauren. Put the positive thoughts out there. I know it's hard, but Bo will hear them."

Lauren filled her lungs quickly, the inhale holding back her cries. She wanted to collapse, the meld of exhaustion and fear confusing her already worn heart and mind.

"Oh and Evony is on her way," Cassie added.

"Thank you for calling her."

Charlotte's instant smile caught Lauren's attention. It pulled Lauren to look in the same direction, where Kenzi had appeared and now stood wrapped in Hale's arms. _Positive thoughts_. Lauren silently repeated Cassie's words five times as she observed her daughter's happy demeanor while staring at her Aunt Kenzi.

"Doc!"

Kenzi's tear-streaked cheeks did not hide her emotions at all. Lauren reached one arm up to wrap around Kenzi, who bent down to offer a quick return hug.

"Okay I'm not going to ask if you are okay because clearly you are not okay. I mean, I am not okay so why would you be okay? And, oh my god, how long do we need to wait for an update? I mean, you work here right? Can't you just demand some answers or something? And I swear I need something to distract me so I can pa-lease hold my niece who will certainly calm my nerves?"

Kenzi's ramble tugged the corner of Lauren's lip to curl slightly. Lauren's heart teetered on a tightrope of devastation, but she fought hard to keep that mantra _positive thoughts_ on repeat. The hint of a smile was evidence of her mild success.

"Of course. Look Char, Aunt Kenzi is here."

Kenzi scooped Charlotte in her arms, granting Lauren instant relief for her weary arms just as Firefighter Lambert approached and knelt by Lauren's side.

"Ladies, can I get you anything? Something from the cafeteria or a cup of coffee?"

The words cafeteria and coffee triggered Lauren's stomach to rumble. She had abandoned that delicious looking quiche on the kitchen counter when Hale's call came in. While Lauren was not a fan of the hospital cafeteria and while food was not a priority at the moment, the doctor knew she had to eat something.

"Coffee and anything to eat. A muffin or a bagel would be perfect."

"Actually I'll go with you," Cassie added as she stood from her chair. She glanced at Lauren before adding, "Call me if you need anything else, but I'll be right back."

Cassie followed Ryan out of the waiting room. For a moment, Lauren was left to her thoughts as others milled about aimlessly, all waiting for word on Bo's condition. Hovering on the brink of a hysterical breakdown had passed and calmly, Lauren simply became a mere observer to the random happenings in the waiting room.

Firefighter Sanders and a few others were sprawled out across the room, their gear stacked on several chairs. Kenzi paced the room, talking incessantly to Charlotte who never lost her brilliant smile despite the fear oozing from everyone in the room. Hale stood tall just outside the waiting room entrance, keeping an ever watchful eye down the hall while waiting for any doctor to arrive with an update. A few other people were nearby, present for another patient or perhaps patients themselves who were waiting to be seen. While the fear inside Lauren's very soul could roar to life and shatter her in any given moment, the doctor's emotions remained suspended; frozen from shifting much in either direction until she had a reason to do so.

Lauren leaned forward, her elbows pressing into her thighs as she held the weight of her head in her hands. Closing her eyes afforded her the ease to disappear from reality even though her heart hurt all the same. She remembered that tear streaked face gracing the Fire Chief on that night she first met Bo. She remembered the kiss they shared in the Fire Station after Lauren boldly invited her to spend the night. Memories of first dates, second dates and countless other dates streamed across Lauren's conscience as tears pressed against the palms covering her eyes. From the oldest memories to the newest, Lauren's mind replayed hundreds of shared moments in an instant, but she paused when she thought of the night prior.

They had gone through their routine evening just like any other. After Bo installed the new light fixture, Lauren had showered, got dressed for work, ate a quick meal and prepared for her work night. Lauren played with a bouncing little girl until Cassie arrived to babysit. Lauren had no trouble remembering the sing along with Bo to the tune of Charlotte's favorite cartoon playing on the television in the living room. It was the same show Charlotte watched every night, giving both Bo and Lauren the chance to memorize every last word from the repetition.

Lauren remembered saying goodbye to Charlotte for the night, giving her a kiss while she crawled on Cassie's lap. But unfortunately, Lauren could not remember kissing Bo before she left. Did she kiss her? Where were they standing? Did Bo leave first? No. No, she left when Lauren did because they walked out to the garage together. Did Lauren kiss her in the garage? Rattling her brain, the memory evaded her. Did she not kiss her before she went to work? Or could she just not remember? To think that Bo was in the emergency room and Lauren could not even remember kissing the love of her life that night before? It made Lauren's heart ache more than she thought she could handle.

Lauren pressed her palms harder against her eyes, hoping the pressure would stop tears from forming. The only thing that stopped Lauren from continuing her thought process was the presence of another person quickly occupying the chair next to her; the one Cassie had occupied a moment earlier. The strong arm that wrapped around her and pulled her to the left was a familiar hug. While it wasn't the hug of her best friend as she desperately wished, Lauren recognized immediately. She never looked up, choosing to keep her face hidden from the others as she folded into the hold of another detective, that of Evony.

The detective let out a sigh, and Lauren was grateful for her otherwise silence. Evony leaned her head against Lauren's, offering Lauren comfort despite the awkward chair arm pressing between them.

Lauren was grateful for her family and friends. They were all here, waiting as patiently as she to hear about Bo's condition. The level of support Lauren had found in them all was downright astonishing at times, but nothing felt lonelier than sitting in the emergency room waiting area wondering if the love of her life was going to live or die. Whether she was hurting or in pain. Whether she was still breathing or aided by machines. Whether their daughter would grow up never remembering her other mother. It was all too much to bear.

"I can't do this, Evony. You need to get Tamsin out of undercover. I don't give a damn what project she's working on."

The tears finally fell. Lauren choked out the words amid sobs and sniffles, the wretched reality of another painful possibility surfacing for the first time since a long forgotten moment in her past.

"Yes you can, Lauren. You can do this because Chief needs you to be strong for her, and because peanut over there knows when you're scared. She's staring at us right now with a look that shows she's scared too. You gotta stay strong, Lauren. Dig deep. And you know I would pull Tamsin out if I could. It's just not an option nor my call. I'm sorry."

Against better judgment Lauren revealed her emotional appearance to the many watchful eyes in the room. She glanced up in search of Charlotte, wanting to instantly calm her fears but ironically stirring them when Charlotte witnessed Lauren's sad and fearful appearance. There, next to an empty chair stood Charlotte, her tiny hand grasping the cushion while Aunt Kenzi knelt next to her and talked randomly about something. But Charlotte's gaze was locked on Lauren's, her lower lip quivering as she lifted her left arm in Lauren's direction. It was her signal to be picked up, and no amount of wiping tears from her own eyes would help Lauren hide her own emotions from her daughter.

Lauren stood from her seat, her muscles finding some strength again from her temporary rest. She marched directly to Charlotte and lifted her with ease, although the act did not stop the little girl from shifting that quivering lip to a full blown cry.

"Shhhh, it's okay honey. You're okay. Shhhhh."

"Mommy."

Her tiny voice crackled amongst her cries, the request prompting Lauren to hold Charlotte a little tighter and whisper her soothing words a little quieter.

"Mommy is busy honey but we'll see her soon, okay?"

Lauren stared directly at Kenzi when she said it, ashamed of the uncertainty in her own statement but finding it warranted. Kenzi's nod supported Lauren's decision, and the doctor felt some reprieve from having that kind of support from Bo's sister.

The doctor paced the room with her daughter in her arms for an unknown length of time. Her own tears stopped as she focused on Charlotte, finally calming the little one with soothing words whispered quietly amongst the hustle and bustle of the room.

Ryan and Cassie appeared in the doorway and walked toward Lauren.

"Doc, we wrangled you up an extra-large coffee and what is apparently considered the world's best hospital blueberry muffin."

The instant thought of coffee made Lauren's stomach rumbled, but the need to comfort her daughter outweighed her need to eat.

"Thank you both. I'll get to it in a minute."

"You want me to take her?" Cassie asked.

"No, thank you though. I need to hold her just a little while longer," Lauren replied.

Cassie nodded, and rubbed Charlotte's back gently.

"We'll just set this over here, then."

Cassie nodded to an empty magazine table before leaving Lauren's side to place the coffee and bagged muffin aside. Charlotte rambled in little kid speak but her cries were absent. Lauren continued to soothe her daughter with small paces around the room and quiet conversation, telling Charlotte that all her firefighter friends were here to visit. Charlotte's requests for her mommy continued, but Lauren distracted her by pointing out firefighter helmets and even the pictures on the walls.

Lauren glanced at the wall clock. It was already ten am. She held back the questions plaguing her as to why she wasn't sleeping in Bo's arms and instead, pacing a hospital waiting room. She inhaled deeply, attempting to maintain her momentary composure. It was the first time she recognized the smell of the hospital; that familiar smell she had grown accustom to in the years she had worked in this very building. It was best described as a mix of sickness and chemicals. While it rarely bothered her, the sheer recognition of it melded with her empty stomach, making her think twice about eating anything for fear of getting sick. In fact she suddenly wished for an escape from the smell, and there was only one place in the building she knew of that lacked this unappealing odor.

Casually, Lauren strolled across the room again, bending slight to pick up the diaper bag resting by Evony's feet. She slid it over her shoulder, remaining quiet despite curious eyes fixed on her from every direction. She then picked up the blueberry muffin bag and tightened it in her hand as she walked to the waiting room entryway. With Charlotte in her arms, Lauren turned her body slightly to address the roomful of friends and family.

"I'm going to my office. Please send Doctor Miller there immediately. He knows where it is."

She didn't wait for any reply before wearily walking out of the waiting room down the lengthy hallway. Despite the hushed whispers from those remaining in the waiting area, Lauren only heard the echo of her own footsteps. She subconsciously counted the steps, a habit she had developed a long time ago when she walked any of the lengthy hospital hallways. It seemed to actually clear her head on most days. She paused half way down the hall, glancing to her right and the double doors marked "Personnel Only." These were the doors that led to the emergency room bays and elevators to operating rooms.

Lauren gulped, knowing the badge dangling from her shirt hem would easily grant her access. It was a move Lauren actually contemplated. She even took a partial step in that direction, pausing again as Charlotte uttered the word _juice_ and reminded Lauren that she still held their child in her arms. What happened behind those doors was nothing a one year old should see.

Keeping good judgment, Lauren resumed her walk down the hall toward her office and away from the emergency room. Upon reaching her office door, Lauren fumbled for the badge clipped to her shirt before swiping it against the badge reader. It instantly opened her office door, and one step inside allowed Lauren to enjoy the clean smell of a fresh rain melded with a light perfume fragrance. Lauren breathed deep as she flicked on the lights and closed the door behind her. She glanced at the multitude of air fresheners plugged in to every outlet in the room.

"Such a great investment," she whispered to herself.

Charlotte made her second request for juice. With the talent of any parent, Lauren dug a spill proof cup from the diaper bag while balancing Charlotte in her grasp. She quickly handed it to her daughter. The doctor eased into her office chair, sitting Charlotte on the desk and holding her there while Lauren rambled to her daughter about childproof cups and juice flavors. Charlotte stared at her, never really commenting back to Lauren as she sucked down half the juice in hand. She realized she must look a bit odd holding such chatter with Charlotte, not that anyone was witness to it. Charlotte lowered the cup from her mouth and giggled. Such innocence, unaware of the reasons why she was in her mama's office. Lauren wished she could keep her in that innocent bubble forever.

Lauren opened the bag containing the blueberry muffin and tore off one piece, popping it in her mouth hoping it would calm her stomach. In between bites, she squeezed her eyes shut. The pain in her chest thumped with each beat. Teetering between proving her strength and collapsing from her weakness, Lauren's emotional state could be described as nothing more than unstable. Bo was always the one to keep her grounded and tethered to reality. The brunette kept her from getting lost inside her head no matter the severity of any situation, but this far exceeded the smaller moments that sat in the back of Lauren's mind, begging for attention and solutions. No, this was the biggest moment: the one that could literally pull air from Lauren's lungs as she contemplated the outcome. Speculation was bad enough: couple that with the medical knowledge of the human body and Lauren's mind threw her into a frightening disarray.

Digging through her bag once more, Lauren's fingertips grazed over the familiar edges of her cell phone. She extracted it quickly, flipping through a few screens and dialing Tamsin's number. The familiar four rings echoed through and the voice mail message began to play. Truthfully just hearing the detective's voice helped, but Lauren desperately needed the live voice of her best friend. A recording just wasn't good enough.

Lauren cleared her throat as the beep ended and accepted her message.

"Tamsin. I need you here. I would never say that if I didn't mean it. It's Bo…"

The pause was forced by her lungs gasping for air. She choked up on just saying Bo's name.

"…please come home."

Lauren ended the call as Charlotte reached for the phone. She held it for Charlotte to look at, barely holding on to her sanity and only doing so because of the little one before her.

A knock on Lauren's door was quickly followed with the door opening. Doctor Miller poked his head in the door before fully stepping inside the room. He glanced over his shoulder and Lauren realized that half her family and the squad followed him down the hallway.

"Should I close the door?" He asked calmly.

Lauren gulped and shook her head from one side to the other. They could hear whatever she could hear. Truthfully, it would save Lauren from repeating any of it. Doctor Miller nodded, walking further in to Lauren's office and sitting in the chair opposite her desk. He rubbed his forehead, the motion only heightening Lauren's fears. She focused on her hands, still holding Charlotte carefully on the desk. She needed to focus on something, because the next several words that could come from Doctor Miller's mouth had the potential to stop Lauren from ever focusing on anything ever again.

xxx


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note: I wanted to get something posted before Christmas, so here you go! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and a safe and healthy start to 2017._

 _xxxx_

Seconds felt far longer than the snippet of time they occupied. Nothing could make the moment feel longer, not even if time itself stopped and reality froze. Doctor Miller began to speak, and while Lauren listened to his words, she hardly heard a thing.

"Deep breath, Doctor Lewis. I know this is hard," Doctor Miller stated.

He paused, exhaling one loud breath before continuing.

"In the accident, Chief Dennis dislocated her shoulder. Her humerus sustained a compound break. It was near the head of the bone, and there was a shift too great to set it back in place without surgery. When we went in, we saw damage to the brachial plexus."

He paused again, this time making full eye contact with Lauren. She knew why he looked her in the eye, waiting for her reaction to his initial statement. The shock of the entire incident held her back from making any reaction though. No, Lauren didn't even blink. She stared at him; her voice not strong enough to urge him to continue on. She hoped her catatonic stare would tell him to please hurry up with the rest of his statement, because dragging it out any longer was surely enough to kill Doctor Lewis right there in the chair she occupied.

Looking for some type of reaction, Doctor Miller continued.

"With me so far?"

Lauren gulped, quickly replying with a question of her own.

"The damage…how severe?"

Doctor Miller leaned back in the chair, relaxing his shoulders as he went into medical explanation mode.

"Severe compression but fortunately no tear as far as we could tell. Enough damage that we will need to give it time to fully realize the extent. And the dislocation with the break caused an excessive amount of swelling, but as you're aware that will go down in a few days."

The medical persona was not only surrounding Doctor Miller, but Lauren as well. With her personal emotions completely hidden away, her questions continued.

"What else?"

Doctor Miller shook his head.

"That's it," he replied.

"That's it?" Lauren repeated quietly, her intonation at the end posing the statement more as a question.

"Yes, that's it. She's stable. She should be out of recovery and in her room shortly."

Lauren's eyes closed, taking a moment to absorb the details. She listened to her heart beat that seemed to echo inside her head. She felt her breathing speed up and then slow down, unsure of how to control it at an even tempo. She barely registered feeling in her own body, except for her hands that still held Charlotte in their grasp. In a desperate attempt to hold her sanity together, Lauren held back any outward reaction, fearing that neither her mind nor her body could handle it.

Mixed in with the sounds of her heartbeat, Lauren also heard sounds of relief echo in the hallway. Those individuals who stood closest to the doorway heard everything Doctor Miller had to say, immediately finding excitement in his statement of Bo's health. She heard the chatter grow louder as news spread further down the sterile hospital hall. Lauren bowed her head forward, still holding back her emotions as more questions came flooding out of her.

"What about burns? Any burn injuries?" Lauren asked as she opened her eyes again.

"No. Her gear protected her well."

"Any respiratory irregularities from the fire?"

"No. Lungs are healthy, although I'm sure she'll have a bit of a sore throat from being intubated during surgery, but that will pass relatively quickly."

Lauren nodded, the first outward recognition she gave that she understood what Doctor Miller was saying. The absence of burns and respiratory issues sent a wave of relief through Lauren, but her brilliant mind knew far too well that more could harm a patient that these two concerns.

"Upper back or neck trauma? Any swelling closer to the vertebrae or skull?"

Doctor Miller again shook his head. "No Doctor Lewis. Outside of the arm and brachial plexus, she's going to be okay."

Lauren's definition of "okay" was certainly different than Doctor Miller's, and while she wasn't quite ready to get into that conversation, she softened her voice slightly as she probed for further information about Bo's injury.

"The damage to her shoulder…8 week recovery?"

Doctor Miller nodded. Truthfully, Lauren didn't doubt her own medical expertise, but she wanted to confirm exactly what her mind questioned. The brachial plexus: Bo as a firefighter: The extent of that injury questionable. As much as Lauren hated to admit it, Bo was not out of the woods yet.

"Yes I'd say 8 weeks is a valid prognosis. But Lauren, the brachial plexus…"

"I know, Doctor Miller. I already know what you're going to say."

Lauren's voice quivered, but her response was enough for Doctor Miller to know that Lauren had heard everything he said.

"Lauren…"

Doctor Miller paused. He rarely called her Lauren, and the use of her first name brought her focus completely to his next sentence.

"She doesn't know yet. I figured you'd want to tell her, but if not, I will take care of it."

Lauren nodded. "Yes thank you. I prefer to tell her myself."

Doctor Miller leaned forward slightly, his full attention directed at Lauren. He also softened his voice, the compassion of a colleague shining through despite his typical professional, neutral tone.

"Have me paged if you need anything. I'll send someone over with Chief Dennis' assigned room number."

Lauren nodded but kept her facial expressions minimal, still not quite ready to smile from the prognosis.

"Thank you, Doctor Miller. And thank you for everything you have done for Bo."

Doctor Miller returned to a standing position as he straightened his medical coat. He cast a friendly smile to Lauren, pausing before he spoke.

"No need to thank me. I'm afraid you have the hardest part to complete, but you already know that."

xxxx

 _Two hours later_

The cramp in Lauren's neck had only worsened over the past two hours. The chair cushions were stiff, the only reprieve coming from the slight recline as she dozed off repeatedly despite her attempts to remain awake. Her chin drooped forward when her head rolled to one side or the other, each and every stretch irritating her tense muscles and the knot sitting squarely under her right ear. Nothing felt good about the few minutes of sleep she had managed to obtain in the hospital room. The woman she loved was still unconscious after surgery and the cast immobilizing a large portion of Bo's upper body would certainly hinder most of her movement when she finally did wake. Lauren knew Bo would demand someone remove it. It was another issue Lauren would personally address.

Lauren kept two watchful eyes on Bo while she slept, when she wasn't dozing off anyway. It was a constant struggle for those two long hours as the blonde's body had other plans to cure her exhaustion, her eyes fluttering closed repeatedly. When Lauren's head finally lulled forward enough to pull the tender muscle in her neck for the tenth or so time, Lauren decided she had enough. She leveraged her hands against the chair arms and pushed herself upright. The blood rushed through her legs. She wiggled her toes and instantly slid her hand over the most pained part of her neck. She gently kneaded the knot as she paced the hospital room. She stretched her other arm carefully, working the tension out of her neck with as much ease as possible.

No matter the direction Lauren walked, her eyes remained on Bo or the machines surrounding Bo's hospital bed. Lauren knew the meaning of every machine's beep or absence thereof. Those sounds melded with Bo's deep breathing, creating an otherwise calming soundtrack to the dramatic events of the early morning. A trickle of sweat beaded on Bo's forehead, just below her hair line. It triggered a question of Bo's body temperature to surface as Lauren stood present as not just Bo's partner but also a medical professional.

With a gentle hand, Lauren pressed the back of her hand to Bo's face. She was warm but not overly so. Lauren pulled one blanket off Bo, leaving just a thin white sheet in place.

The jostling of the blankets stirred Bo, her first movements since Lauren first laid eyes upon her since the accident. Bo's turned her head slightly, a wince of pain crossing her face. Her eyes remained closed when a sigh crossed her lips. She extracted her uninjured arm from under the sheet, rubbing her eyes as Lauren stood bedside and prepared for Bo to regain full consciousness.

Lauren touched Bo's hand, careful not to bump or shift it in any form that would hurt. Another sigh crossed Bo's lips, this time accompanied by a smile as she squeezed the hand now firmly in hers. That smile triggered the first sounds of happiness to escape Lauren's lips, who exhaled audibly upon witnessing Bo waking and smiling at her. Unfortunately the smile faded quickly when another wince crossed Bo's expression. It brought her eyes through rapid blinking motions and a sudden attempt to sit up as her eyes finally opened and remained open.

"Don't try to sit up, hon. Not yet, okay?"

Through a puzzled but pleasant stare, Bo obliged and relaxed into the pillow. Lauren traced her thumb methodically over Bo's hand, providing a consistent connection intended to soothe Bo as she became more and more alert of the surroundings.

Bo blinked her eyes repeatedly, slowing making her way out of the haze of antiesthetic. She looked straight ahead during the first few blinks. Shifting her eyes to Lauren and then around the room, Bo appeared to be trying to figure out where she was. She then looked over her covered shoulder, the bulky cast dominating most of her upper half.

While Lauren had a medical diatribe poised to launch from the tip of her tongue, she withheld. Instead, she allowed silence to sit between them: Bo clearly waking and assessing her injuries with a curious eye and Lauren stuck floating between tears of joy and tears of sadness. Her nerves were shot from the anguish she experienced that morning, but seeing Bo's awake gave Lauren hope that everything would be somehow okay.

More silence followed until Bo took a deep breath and finally spoke.

"How bad is it?"

Bo's voice was raspy. Not sexy like when she would wake Lauren before the sunrise but closer resembling an irritated sore throat when she battled some type of upper respiratory infection. Despite the tone, Bo was calm, exhibiting nothing but patience while she shifted her eyes between the cast and Lauren.

Lauren had spent hours thinking about how to answer this question. She knew Bo would be direct, and the first thing Lauren replied was exactly what she had planned to do: be direct.

"It's moderate."

Bo squeezed Lauren's hand, bringing a smile to the doctor's face despite the wince that crossed Bo's expression again. Bo had used the hand on the injured side of her body, and even just the slightest flex of those muscles made it quite evident that Bo was in pain. She swallowed it quickly, attempting to hide the extent of what she was feeling.

It was typical Bo: never wanting to place burden on Lauren and always wanting to remain strong in the face of anything thrown her way. Over the years Bo had certainly shown Lauren her softer, sensitive and vulnerable side, but not today. No, today Bo gritted her teeth and held back expressing the physical pain coursing through her shoulder and upper body because the expression crossing Lauren's face told Bo the fear and emotional anguish Lauren had experienced while she was in surgery. The last thing Bo wanted to do was add to Lauren's worry.

Despite Bo's best attempt to hide the pain, Lauren saw right through it. The blonde's thumb continued to move back and forth across Bo's hand; a focal point to withhold her own tears. She had experienced the gamut of emotions that morning already. She was tired and frightened to near heartbreak yet tried to remain strong and composed.

Bo was always the strong one. She always held it together better than Lauren when they faced adversity. Lauren had done well so far, but the culmination of every thought and feeling had finally come to a head. The blonde squeezed her eyes shut but she couldn't stop it: the tears fell anyway. In a heart wrenching moment, Lauren's emotions collapsed. She finally allowed her feelings to flood out into the open, and the cries that followed were honest and heartfelt down to her very core.

Bo's eyes widened and she inhaled sharply. Seeing the sadness cross Lauren's face tore at her emotions.

"Awww baby, I'm okay. I promise, Lauren, I'm okay. Please don't cry."

Bo reached across her own body with her uninjured hand, grabbing Lauren's and pulling her into an embrace. Lauren folded onto Bo, unstoppable tears streaming down her face joined by an eruption of emotions.

"Shhhhhh, shhhhhhh, I'm okay hon. I'm okay."

Lauren shook her head despite it being buried in Bo's chest. She couldn't control her cries. The fears she held that entire morning were more than Lauren could bear to even admit. She couldn't possibly imagine losing Bo. It scared Lauren beyond anything she had ever expected. Through sobs and sniffles, Lauren tried to calm her emotions but continuously failed.

And through all of Lauren's tears, Bo comforted her as best she could.

"Baby, I'm okay. Don't cry. Please baby. It kills me to see you cry."

Bo soothed Lauren for several minutes, trying to calm her as best she could. Lauren's emotions were raw and exposed, flooding down her cheeks and soaking into the sheet covering her girlfriend. Bo never let go of Lauren's hand through it all. An unknown amount of time passed as Lauren cried, releasing all the pent up feelings she had accumulated all morning.

It took quite a while for Lauren to get it all out. The intensity of the sobs echoed through the small hospital room. Those sobs eventually shifted to cries and those cries eventually shifted to sniffles as Lauren wore herself out from sadness. It wasn't with focus or patience that Lauren was finally able to control her emotions, but she simply ran out of tears to cry as her exhaustion won out.

She held on to Bo for dear life: fearful for what could have been and grateful for what was. She tried not to think too much about it though, instead just sending thanks to some almighty being that saved Bo's life. And eventually, when Lauren's sniffles stopped and her breathing evened out, she finally leaned up off Bo and wiped her puffy eyes with her bare hand.

"There's my girl," Bo whispered.

Through foggy eyes and swollen eyelids, Lauren looked at Bo. The Fire Chief's hair was a mess and her eyes were half closed, but the faintest of smiles came through. It warmed Lauren's heart while simultaneously making the doctor feel awful for having a breakdown like that.

"God, I'm so sorry Bo. I should be comforting you, not the other way around."

It was then that Bo finally released her grasp on Lauren's hand, beckoning her closer with the curl of a finger. Lauren leaned closer, just enough that Bo reached out and brushed Lauren's hair behind her ear. It was a small gesture that was following quickly by Bo taking Lauren's hand into her own again.

"It sounds like I've given you quite a scare this morning," Bo whispered.

Lauren wiped her eyes with the back of her hand again.

"You could say that," she replied.

Bo smiled at her, but gone was the typical relaxed demeanor. A meld of pain and fear had infected her expression, bringing forth her crinkled forehead and removing all signs of that adorable dimple. She squeezed Lauren's hand harder than she realized, and her eyes asked Lauren for answers to the burning questions she had even yet to ask. Tightly her fingers curled around Lauren's, the tears escaping Bo's eyes silently.

"I remember being put in an ambulance, and I remember feeling like my arm had been ripped off."

Lauren nodded.

"Something fell on you in the building fire, a part of the building I guess. The guys pulled you out."

Bo looked to her arm again, recognizing it was completely immobilized. Just a fraction of movement in her hand made it sting all the way up her arm and that pain caused a bit of fear to ignite inside her.

"Tell me Lauren. Tell me how bad…"

Lauren's gaze locked on the cast covered shoulder, her grip on Bo's just as tight as the Fire Chief's. When Doctor Miller said Lauren had the hardest part, he wasn't kidding. How does one tell the woman she loves that the damage to her arm could be career ending? How does one choose the right words to explain the possibilities or the odds of recovering fully from such damage? Lauren wanted to be positive and optimistic, but she knew better than to sugar coat any of it.

"The swelling is putting pressure on a nerve, enough pressure that it could permanently damage the nerve."

Bo looked over the bulky cast again and nodded slowly.

"Okay so that's not too bad right? I mean, will it just make me lose a little feeling up there, right? Or…"

Lauren immediately interrupted Bo.

"You could lose motor skills, Bo. You could lose partial or even full use of your right arm. We don't know for sure yet, and there is a chance you will regain all movement and feeling, but it's just too soon to tell."

Not even a breath was heard in the moments that followed Lauren's abrupt statement. There Lauren stood, frozen in denial and fear, relief and exhaustion. Lauren's emotions had thrown her in so many directions already that day that she had started to feel numb. She felt cold in blurting it out in such medical terms, but inside her heart was screaming to say things like "I'll make it all better" and "I'll fix your arm no matter what." But Lauren never made false promises, and this could certainly not be an exception.

Bo, however, was far from numb. She was coming out of sedation, awakening to physical pain in her body and emotional anguish as she watched Lauren cry. And as she listened to Lauren's words, explaining the possibility that she could lose use of her arm, Bo's heart and mind fractured as dozens of thoughts and feelings overwhelmed her.

There was no delay in the fear overcoming Bo's expression. Widening eyes, a quivering lip, and fear that flashed a lifetime of unfinished work before her eyes. A sudden intake of air happened followed by another and then another.

Bo's wrinkled brow tightened. She shook her head from side to side as the words began to spew from her lips.

"But that…no, no I can't. I need both arms, Lauren. I can't lose use of…"

Bo's words faded as her mind delved into deep, dark places of possibility.

Lauren saw it in her face, choosing quickly to rub her thumb over Bo's hand with a more rapid pace trying to keep her grounded to their connection in hopes of slowing her mind from the worst possible thoughts.

"I know honey, I know. We're going to do everything we can to help it heal; to help you heal."

Lauren repeated the phrases dozens of time, so much that her words synched with a machine's beeping sound as Bo gasped for breath. On the verge of hyperventilating, Lauren soothed her in the only way she knew how, in the only way Bo was receptive. Lauren stood by her patiently, not changing her motions at all or offering too many words of encouragement. Any spoken thoughts about the power of positive thinking or a regimented physical therapy program would do nothing but incite Bo into a rage: a rage against the universe for putting her in this position. It was the topic of a late night conversation a few years ago that started with the phrase, "If I wasn't a firefighter, then I wouldn't know myself." Lauren realized the importance of Bo's career in her identity, and she did not take this injury lightly.

It was a lengthy time before Bo's breathing evened out. Quite possibly, the Fire Chief's own exhaustion could have helped hold back an emotional breakdown. To many, the silence may have felt awkward. But to Lauren, it was encouraging. She knew Bo was thinking; processing the information rather than jumping to any conclusions. The silent time they shared gave way to an eventual calm conversation that served a purpose to distract Bo from the heavy thoughts surrounding her injury.

Bo looked directly at Lauren as she spoke. She kept her voice quiet, a meld of concern and frustration coming through in her tone.

"Dammit. I need this arm, Lauren. I can't be a fire fighter without both arms. It just…"

Lauren squeezed Bo's hand, not releasing her hold in the slightest. While it soothed Bo just to maintain that connection, it also soothed Lauren as she continuously thanked the universe that Bo was alive.

"Let's give it some time to heal, okay? There's a very big possibility that you'll maintain full use. It's just going to take some time, babe. I'm going to ask you for patience, and I know that is a shitty thing to ask right now, but you give me some patience and time, and I'll give you an exact answer on how much you can heal."

"And what happens if it doesn't heal?" Bo asked quickly.

Lauren inhaled deeply but remained optimistic despite the feeling in her gut that made her want to vomit.

"And if not, then we'll cross that bridge together. But remember this: you are a fighter. You don't just fight against fires: you also fight for what you want. I'm going to be with you through this every step of the way. We just have to wait a little bit."

Lauren spoke confidently but her voice still quivered slightly.

Bo nodded her understanding, but the Fire Chief's impatience and worry was worn blatantly on her face. She was groggy, her stomach felt queasy and even the slightest movements made her body ache. Despite the horrendous fear of what could happen if she lost use of her arm, Bo smiled when she heard Lauren's statement spoken with such conviction. Such determination. It helped buoy Bo's fear with a bit of confidence.

Bo remained silent. She closed her eyes to hide her tears. The brunette held back as much as she could, but Lauren easily recognized the agony rolling through Bo's unsettled mind.

Lauren's emotions flooded through her chest as she witnessed Bo attempt to remain strong in the face of such uncertainty. Tears coated the doctor's cheeks at the pain Bo was feeling. Lauren was a doctor, but had absolutely no ability to help Bo right now. She could not fix her arm and make it better. She could not take away the pain she was feeling. But Lauren could help Bo feel comforted and supported. And with her words and actions, Lauren was bound to make sure Bo Dennis knew she had Lauren's love and a lot of people ready to help.

"Whatever it takes, Bo. I love you, and I'm here for you." Lauren whispered.

Lauren's words were strong. The Fire Chief opened her eyes and took a deep breath, all the while Lauren stood protectively at her partner's side. The silence was not awkward, but Lauren wanted to fill it with some positivity. There was still a chance that Bo would be okay, and while she would not alter the odds in Bo's mind, she was still going to be Bo's biggest cheerleader to have hope.

"You know, you're the toughest woman I know. So don't, even for a second, think you can't heal. Patience is going to be your biggest enemy, but you are strong and determined, and that makes you, Bo Dennis, the best Fire Chief in the city. And yes, this is a big challenge for you, but let's face it together."

Bo squeezed Lauren's hand in return, whispering the only words she could say without crying.

"I love you Lauren."

Lauren leaned over and kissed Bo on the forehead.

"I love you too Bo. And Charlotte loves you too. I know it's hard, but stay strong baby. We'll get through this," Lauren stated.

Bo smiled a little, sniffling a little as she spoke. "I'm gonna try babe."

"Good," Lauren replied.

"Where is that little peanut of ours?" Bo asked as she looked around the small room.

Lauren nodded toward the door.

"With Cassie or Kenzi or Evony or any number of fire fighters, probably somewhere between the waiting room, the cafeteria or in my office."

"They're all here?" Bo asked.

Lauren nodded in the affirmative. Bo took another deep breath, helping her calm remain for a bit longer than she anticipated.

"They came here immediately after the fire, and none of them have left," Lauren replied.

Bo smiled as the feeling of support already began to take hold.

"Wow, that's awesome."

"We all love you, babe," Lauren replied.

"Thanks Laur. Do you think I can see Charlotte," Bo whispered.

"If you're ready, yes. I can go get her." Lauren replied quietly.

Bo widened her eyes momentarily. "Wait. With the cast and all, do you think it will scare her?" Bo asked.

Honestly, Lauren had no idea if it would scare her or not, but she knew it would be good for Bo to see their little girl. Lauren tugged the sheet covering Bo's body just a bit to cover the side of her leg. She paused just a moment before replying.

"Well, I think your crying would scare her more than the cast. You know how upset she gets when either of us are upset."

Bo nodded, sniffling back her runny nose.

"No crying then," Bo replied. "I'll shut it down."

Lauren could tell Bo was serious. In that instant, the fire chief's tone had shifted. Her fear was muted and her stronger tone had returned. While Lauren never wanted Bo to bottle up her emotions, a visit from Charlotte could prove just the right distraction to allow Bo a little time before over-analyzing her injury.

Lauren nodded. "Okay hon, I'll go get her. Do you want me to get you anything?"

"Thanks babe. Maybe something to drink? My throat is super sore."

"From the breathing tube," Lauren added. "I'll be back with Charlotte and some water."

While Bo had her emotions under control, Lauren's were still teetering on the edge. She slowly released her hold on Bo's hand and took hold of the hospital issued oversized plastic mug with the oversized plastic straw sticking out of the top. She smiled at Bo before leaning over and placing another gentle kiss to Bo's forehead.

"Be right back," Lauren stated.

Lauren shuffled out of the hospital room and pulled the door closed behind her. She halted her steps upon seeing the members of Station 55 all crowded in the hallway. Not one of Bo's crew had left the hospital. Each and every face staring at her waited for Lauren to say something. She looked at Ryan Lambert and Hale, Sanders, Brown and Jones, Evony, Kenzi and Cassie. Her eyes fell upon Charlotte and Lauren immediately smiled. She nodded toward the closed door and held up the standard hospital issued plastic mug.

"She wants to see Charlotte and she wants something to drink," Lauren announced.

That simple short sentence put smiles on every face nearby. It was a quiet celebration between family and friends and colleagues. Evony took the mug from Lauren's hand and walked away to have it filled. Kenzi climbed out of the chair and walked to Lauren with arms extended outward. Lauren pulled Kenzi into the warmest hug.

"She's awake?" Kenzi whispered.

"Yes," Lauren replied.

Kenzi squeezed tighter, extending their embrace a moment longer.

"Does she know about the possible nerve damage?"

"Yes, but don't bring it up. Just go see her. Can you take Charlotte in to see her?" Lauren voiced.

"No problem doc," Kenzi replied.

Kenzi released her grip on Lauren and motioned for Cassie to follow. They stepped around Lauren and entered the room, leaving the door open so that they all heard Bo's voice when she saw their daughter.

 _"There's my little peanut!"_

A quiet laugh followed from those who heard Bo's statement. Lauren looked around once more, offering a gracious smile to all those in her presence.

"Thank you all for staying. I'm sure she wants to see each and every one of you."

Nods and smiles all around, the firefighters of Station 55 remained quiet but appeared quite happy that their chief was awake. Lauren glanced to each of them offering her own exhausted smile. She was grateful for their presence and the strength they provided to both her and Bo. The entire squad was an extension of their family, and having them here in such a difficult time lifted Lauren's spirit. She knew it would do the same for Bo.

The rising volume of fast approaching footsteps pulled Lauren's attention away from the firefighters toward the hallway behind her. Lauren knew that sound all too well: the sound when a hospital employee was jogging through the halls of the building. She immediately saw Tara coming toward her, who slowed her pace only upon reaching Lauren's side.

In between heaving breaths, Tara uttered, "Doctor Lewis, your patient Vex. He's demanding to see you."

That statement got Lauren's heart pumping. He had not fully regained consciousness since prior to the surgery and Lauren had no idea when, or if, he would wake.

"Vex? He's awake?"

Lauren's mind dove into a tailspin. Every moment of the surgery flashed through her mind. Dozens of questions sat on the tip of her tongue but she refrained from voicing any of them aloud as Tara continued.

"Yes, doctor. He's awake and making demands," Tara replied.

"Demands? The man has been unconscious."

Tara nodded. "I know Doctor Lewis, but I'm not exaggerating when I say _demands_."

Lauren wasted no time dwelling on what type of demands he was making. She was curious about her patient, but timing of his request to see Lauren was not ideal. Bo was her priority.

"Can you get another doctor on call? Page Doctor Miller maybe? This is just not a good time, Tara."

Tara nodded again. She leaned in closer as to avoid others from hearing her future words.

"I know, but he told all the other doctors to "bugger off" while also strategically using several choice expletives. My only other option is to call security. I know how you prefer to try everything else first."

Lauren exhaled loudly and rolled her eyes. It was true that she hated to get security involved with patients unless necessary. As a compassionate individual, Lauren knew patients were emotional. Hospitals certainly had that effect on people. And while the rare occurrence of a combative patient did require extreme measures, she knew very little about this patient yet or to what extreme his demands had become. The only way to know for sure was to visit the patient herself.

Lauren glanced toward the doorway to Bo's hospital room before looking back to Tara.

"Okay. Let me tell Bo I'll be gone for a few minutes and I'll meet you outside his room."

xxxx

Weary and running on empty, Lauren showed no signs of slowing. Her quick paces led directly to the fourth floor where Vex had been since she last saw him. As Lauren approached, she caught the stares of Tara and Darcy lingering outside the closed patient room door. Both women were rolling their eyes with each thud echoing from inside the room. Each thud grew louder as Lauren approached. She had never heard any sound like that before.

"What in the hell is that noise?"

She directed the question to both Darcy and Tara.

"Your patient has taken to tossing a tennis ball against the wall until you get here."

Lauren scrunched her brow. The answer sounded more like a temper tantrum than anything to her. In fact, it was more childish than anything Charlotte had done thus far in her life, and Lauren wondered how on earth an adult could be behaving so badly.

"Oh for crying out loud…"

With her own eye roll and impatience, Lauren grabbed the door handle and shoved the door wide open. Lauren typically only wanted to approach patients in the utmost professional moments, but this moment proved very different. Lauren didn't care that she was dressed in typical civilian clothes or that her eyes were puffy from crying and carried dark circles under them from lack of sleep. As if she were dressed in her typical medical attire and at the top of her game, Lauren marched right into the room and snagged the tennis ball from mid-air as it soared toward the wall for yet another toss.

She surprised herself with the one handed catch she made. Gripping the ball harder as she held it, Lauren glared at her patient with a mix of curiosity and frustration. She had one hell of a morning, and while this man knew nothing of the sort, Lauren still wanted to make this visit as efficient and as brief as possible.

Vex stared at her with a brilliant smile. It wasn't fake nor cocky at all, but simply expressed his happiness at her presence.

"Well hello. And who might you be?"

"I am Doctor Lauren Lewis. I hear you have been asking for me."

Vex raised on eye brow, glanced to the doorway and the back to Lauren.

"Uhhh, you're Doctor Lewis? The doctor that operated on me?"

Lauren heard the concern in his voice. With her one empty hand, she smoothed out her somewhat wrinkled shirt and stood a little taller, realizing she probably looked as bad, it not worse, than when she first rolled into Kenzi's hospital room all those years ago and the young lady had quite a similar reaction.

"Yes, I am the Doctor Lewis that operated on you. I..."

Vex cut her off, casting no judgment toward her and immediately moving past her appearance.

"Doctor Lewis, thank the stars you're here!"

He pushed himself further into a sitting position on the bed, careful of his splinted and bandaged arm. His voice was strong for someone who had just regained consciousness, and his overall demeanor came across quite positive.

Lauren placed the tennis ball on a chair out of Vex's reach and walked to his bedside.

"Hello Vex. It's nice to formally meet you. I hear you have been rather persistent in seeing me this morning."

Her tone was pleasant but firm. Vex raised his uninjured arm in surrender.

"Guilty. I'm rather sorry about that, but no one around here seems to listen to a bloody word I say. I do appreciate you coming by so quickly."

Lauren nodded. "Well I am here, so what is it that you needed to speak with me about?"

With a proud smile, Vex raised his bandaged arm off the bed carefully. He winced slightly, but he held his hand palm forward toward Lauren. With a very slow movement, Vex curled his fingers into his palm and made a fist. It was a loose fist, but the motion still exhibited use of all his fingers.

"Look at this. I can move all of my fingers."

Lauren widened her eyes. The range of his motion already was rather impressive considering he had just had surgery a few days prior. The ability to move all his fingers was promising, and Lauren hoped that only meant full use of his arm once fully recovered.

Lauren took hold of his hand and had him tighten his grip around her hand. It was a weak grasp but still a full fisted grasp nonetheless. She directed him to pinch his index finger to this thumb before walking him through a full range of several other finger motions. He never failed at one of her tests. She gently lowered his arm back to a resting position on the blankets.

"Well Vex I'd say this all looks very promising, but don't overdo it. Your arm still needs time to heal."

With his uninjured hand, Vex reached for Lauren and squeezed her hand. He held it tight, still wearing a smile that rivaled that of Charlotte when riding on the lawn mower with Bo.

"Doc, don't you see what this means?"

Lauren stared at him blankly.

"It means I won't lose my arm and it means I'll still be able to teach martial arts! You've given me an extended lease on my career. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you, really."

The ironic parallels between Bo and Vex sat in the forefront of Lauren's mind. Both individuals relied on their hands and arms for their chosen careers. Both had sustained various injuries to an arm. Both were currently in the hospital. And while she was the one to save Vex from a future absent of martial arts, she had no control over saving Bo from a future absent of fighting fires. While it was still too early to tell what fate Bo's future held, her position of little power over helping Bo stung.

She was a doctor. Her career revolved around saving lives. Not just saving them from death, but saving the lives that people loved to have. If that meant being a martial arts instructor or fire fighter, or runner or musician, Lauren always strived to provide patients with a life as similar to what they had prior to an accident as she possibly could. It didn't always work out that way, but her meticulous attention to detail with each and every patient aided her far more frequently than it did otherwise. The hardest part of all of this, however, was that she wasn't there to help Bo. She wasn't the doctor who addressed Bo's injuries, nor would she have been able to even if she had been at work. It still didn't hurt any less knowing that Bo's career dangled in the balance while the brunette laid in a bed downstairs.

Lauren held back her emotions, patting Vex on the back of his hand as she slowly pulled her hand from his grip.

"I think you have a good prognosis once we get you through some physical therapy. And I'll be sure to set up some regular appointments with you to follow up, but the other doctors here will be able to help you while I'm absent, okay?"

Vex's smile faded. He looked over Lauren and immediately noticed her civilian clothing.

"Absent? Are you not going to be my doctor for a while then?"

Lauren took a deep breath.

"I will be, but I'm taking a few days off to tend to a personal matter. I promise the other doctors here are very good." She smiled and whispered, "They may not be named Doctor Lauren Lewis, but they're good people. Go easy on them, okay?"

Vex nodded. His smile returned slightly.

"Only because you asked. I do hope everything is alright."

Lauren nodded. "I hope so as well. Are you hungry?"

Vex huffed and rolled his eyes. "Bloody starving."

With a smile, Lauren nodded. "I'll send someone in to get you something to eat, okay?"

She turned to leave the room, taking only three steps before Vex stopped her.

"Doctor Lewis?"

Lauren turned to face her patient again, hoping his statement would be brief so she could return to Bo's side quickly.

"Yes?" she asked.

"If there is anything I can do to repay you, ever, just say the word and consider it done."

His tone was heartfelt and Lauren felt it. It tugged on her own heart as it lay in such a fragile state. She held back her tears, taking a deep breath while offering him a gentle smile. Her mind screamed _thank you_ to her patient, but her own emotions threatened to spill over if she dare spoke one word to him. Instead, she nodded to him and turned quickly to exit the room. She would happily get Tara or Darcy to get him some food and get another doctor assigned to his care, but from that moment on, Lauren was determined to be by Bo's side and do everything in her power to help Bo.

That was her focus.

That was her priority.

And that would be one of the biggest challenges Lauren had yet to face.

xxxxx


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note: Howdy! You all are a patient group, so thank you for waiting while life gobbles up my free time. This is a short update but I need to fill in some gaps to keep it moving._

xxxx

Mountains of notebooks, text books, and research remained stacked twelve inches high across Lauren's desk. Multiple piles of information culminated over three days' time as Lauren shuffled through countless medical books, websites, notes, and journals. Her focus on Bo's injury never tired. Her drive to elevate the amount of knowledge she already held in that brilliant mind propelled her forward with hopes of finding better odds; no, finding the best odds, for Bo's outcome.

For the first moment in hours, Lauren closed her eyes. She inhaled deeply, sighing on the exhale as her shoulders dropped slightly. Her muscles were tense. Sitting at a desk without much movement otherwise would stiffen any human body. Lauren leaned back in her chair as her mind replayed countless images in her head. Her mind coursed through three solid days' worth of information as if it were a filing cabinet: filtering, categorizing, and shifting data here and there as to formulate a better picture of the research she had read. She was hopeful, and while that was a good start, it was simply just the beginning.

Lauren opened her eyes and glanced at the time. It was almost morning. She should have felt exhausted as she lacked sleep since Bo's accident, but on the contrary, Lauren was easily riding an adrenaline wave that had yet to end. Her alert status was speckled with a jittery hand or a yawn here and there, but Bo was her priority and sleep could wait.

Lauren stood from her desk and walked out of her office. She moved with ease through the hospital corridor and up the elevator. The pre-morning hours of the day were rather quiet as she traveled to Bo's hospital room. Not that she was complaining, but silence forced her brain to think, and Lauren was desperate for any time that allowed her to relax in whatever capacity she could. She stepped inside the doorway leading to Bo's room and walked quietly around the drawn curtain. Bo was still sleeping, and while Lauren wished desperately to be at home with Bo waking in their own bed, the doctor was forever grateful that Bo was alive. That, in itself, put a smile on Lauren's face.

She moved carefully to the chair positioned next to Bo's bed and sat down to wait for her love to wake. Lauren stared upon Bo for several minutes, committing the image to memory. She listened to the softness of Bo's breathing that created a repetitive comforting sound in the space surrounding them. Without thinking much of it, Lauren leaned back in the chair and thought she'd close her eyes for a few minutes until Bo woke. It was less than a few minutes later that Lauren drifted off to sleep.

xxxxx

When her eyes fluttered open, Lauren was staring at a wall mounted television. An old game show was airing but remained muted, reminding her of childhood on a sick day from school when she used to watch all the various game shows on tv.

"Good morning, beautiful."

Lauren blinked her eyes as she turned her head. Bo was propped up in her hospital bed, smiling and looking radiant despite the bulky support covering part of her upper body. A laptop computer sat on the small table resting on Bo's lap. Lauren smiled bigger. It was for just a brief moment her heart felt light, lacking all the worry she had for the past few days. Unfortunately, Bo scooted her body just a little to sit up more when she winced from the pain in her arm, causing Lauren's heart to drop once again.

"Morning. You okay?" Lauren asked as she quickly sat upright.

Bo nodded. "Yes. Just sore. I stopped taking pain medicine so I think I'll feel this a bit more now. How was your nap?"

"Good, I think," Lauren replied as she rubbed her neck. "What time is it?"

"Eleven thirty," Bo replied.

Lauren jumped out of her chair. "Eleven thirty?! Shit!"

Bo raised her uninjured arm.

"Slow down, doctor. I spoke with Cassie and she has Charlotte all day. You are to sit back down in that chair and breathe for a bit."

Bo's tone was calm and soft. It was laced with love and appreciation, and without hesitation, Lauren sat down. She remained on the edge of the seat however, quick to reach her hand over to Bo and place it gently on her blanket covered thigh.

"Are those doctor's orders?" Lauren joked.

Bo nodded. "Why yes they are. Doctor Bo Dennis instructs you to stay in that chair and relax."

Lauren chuckled as she nodded her understanding.

"I can't believe I slept that long," Lauren whispered.

"Not nearly long enough. I can tell by the dark circles under your eyes that you haven't been sleeping at all."

Lauren could not deny it, but her heart and mind justified it all the same.

"I can sleep next year. The present has other priorities."

Bo tilted her head and gave Lauren a stern glance. She grabbed the television remote, shutting off the old game show before she spoke.

"Baby, please don't wear yourself out. We can't both be confined to a hospital bed."

Lauren squeezed Bo's thigh and smiled. "I won't. I promise."

Bo didn't respond but Lauren didn't need her to. The doctor never made promises she couldn't keep, and this would certainly not be the first one she planned to break. Rather than get into any heavier conversation about it, Lauren changed the subject as she nodded to Bo's laptop.

"What are you working on?"

"The new firefighter candidate trials. I got all the written scores sent to me so I'm just looking those over. I hope to be at the practical tests, but it will depend on how quickly I can heal. I'd really like to see how they perform, not just read it on paper."

"How soon?" Lauren asked.

"Couple weeks from now."

"Well I guess we better get you healed by then," Lauren said with a smile.

A voice echoed from behind the curtain. "Healed by when?"

Lauren and Bo looked to the curtain being pulled back as Doctor Miller came into sight.

"A few weeks from now," Bo replied. "I'd like to get back to work."

Doctor Miller stepped closer to the bed, looking at Bo while he held an iPad in his hands. "No physical work for you right now. It's still too soon to tell, Chief. However, I do have some good news. You're free to go home."

Doctor Miller pointed to Lauren and continued. "And you have to keep her from doing any physical activity with that arm except for getting her to physical therapy. Deal?"

Bo blurted out, "Deal!" before Lauren could even respond. Their laughter carried through the room. Bo was desperate to get home and be with her family. She hated that Lauren had to balance everything on her own while Bo was laid up on the hospital. Even though it had only been a few days, Bo knew Lauren's workaholic self could overload. Getting home was actually good for them both.

"I'll have the nurse come in with your discharge papers and you'll be all set. Call me if you need anything. Either of you. Okay?"

"Will do. Thank you Doctor Miller," Lauren replied.

xxxx

It was not until late afternoon when Bo was finally released from the hospital. It took a little maneuvering to get Bo into the car comfortably. Bo joked that she should have waited to stop taking the pain medicine because the pain was making her stomach start to feel worse than the medicine. Yet her "tough girl" persona was something Lauren knew extremely well. That solid, outer shell simply covered the most tender of hearts. Lauren knew Bo would always try to hide any bit of discomfort, whether physical or emotional. While Lauren always wanted Bo to be honest, the doctor learned all the signs to know what Bo was feeling even when she wouldn't necessarily say it aloud.

"We'll get you home and get something to calm your stomach. I'll make the drive as smooth as possible."

Bo smiled. "Thanks babe."

The drive home was better than Bo had expected. The Fire Chief didn't feel too bad once the car began to move. She remained quiet for most of the ride, watching the clouds float across the sky. Bo felt incredibly loved and incredibly lucky. While she was not yet ready to face the possibility of a career ending injury, she had the best family and friends any woman could ask for.

She had Lauren. The most compassionate, talented, gorgeous woman who loved her. She had Charlotte. The most perfect bundle of joy Bo was graced to call her daughter. Her sister, her firefighters, her friends: they gave her heart endless reasons to be happy. Bo's emotions swelled as they drove toward their home. She thought of how much worse the accident could have been, and there was a nagging feeling deep inside that made her realize how unprepared she was for what had happened. The thoughts flooded her mind. "What ifs" and "what thens" formulated quicker than she wanted. Her biggest concern was, and always had been, Lauren and Charlotte. They were her world, and the possibilities of where the accident could have taken her made Bo's chest tighten. She felt ill prepared to care for them in the event of tragedy, and that was simply not good enough for the Fire Chief. Her breathing started to escalate, but not wanting to show Lauren that her thoughts had gone to such a place, Bo shook the notion off quickly. She took a calming breath. Bo loved her life, both her personal life and her career. While she could not always control the future, she could certainly steer it in the direction she wanted.

"Lauren baby?"

Lauren smiled as she steered the car into their driveway. "Yes, love?"

"I've been thinking..."

Bo paused, quietly considering the million thoughts and feelings flooding through her.

Lauren remained quiet, simply waiting for Bo to continue whenever she was ready. She pushed the garage door opener and carefully maneuvered the vehicle inside, shutting off the ignition and closing the garage door. She could feel an intensity radiating from Bo despite their lack of words. Rather than sit in the car and wait for Bo to voice whatever she was thinking, Lauren spoke up.

"Hold that thought, Bo? I'm going to help you get inside first."

Bo nodded. Lauren walked around the car and grabbed the passenger door handle of the BMW. She was surprised that Bo actually waited for her to circle the vehicle, since the brunette was usually not one to ask for help. With a gentle tug, the door opened to reveal a humble Fire Chief waiting patiently for Lauren's help. The doctor smiled and offered an outstretched arm to Bo.

Stepping out of the car was actually easier than sliding in it, but Bo took the offered hand despite wanting to do things on her own. She spent her time in the hospital trying to prove she didn't need a lot of help, failing miserably each time her pride got in the way of accepting any form of assistance. It took the unexpected jarring motion of her arm during a hospital gown change that sent a searing painful jolt through her to finally get Bo's ego to fold. After that, she was more than willing to accept help.

Standing in the garage, Bo glanced over the pristine row of muscle cars parked next to Lauren's BMW. She smiled at seeing those beauties. While the fire chief never wanted to have an injury to either arm, Bo was grateful it was her left one that was hurt. She needed her right arm to shift gears on the manual transmissions. It was a glimmer of a silver lining in an otherwise darkened incident.

Bo shifted her gaze to Lauren, who was pulling a hospital issued bag carrying some of Bo's personal effects from the back seat. She was thrilled Lauren had brought her clean clothes to the hospital a few days back. The clothing she had worn under her fire fighter gear was all but cut off her by the medics while in the ambulance.

The brunette was grateful for all of Lauren's pampering over the past few days, and while they still didn't know the full extent of Bo's injuries, Lauren made each and every moment much more tolerable and hopeful than Bo could have made independently. Even something as simple as Lauren carrying her bag from the car to the interior of the house was appreciated, and Bo made certain to voice it.

"Thanks hon," Bo whispered as the doctor shut the car door.

"For what?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled and motioned toward the bag in Lauren's hand.

"For carrying my stuff. For taking care of me, for holding down the fort while I lay trapped in the hospital, for making me hopeful that things will work out, for being your beautiful, loving self and all the good that comes with it. I'm sorry for being such a pain in the ass. I really could not do this without you."

Bo's voice quivered as she finished that statement. Hearing Bo's emotion laced in those words caused Lauren's reply to catch in her throat. She placed the bag gently on the floor before sliding her hand over Bo's cheek. She rubbed her thumb over Bo's skin, pulling the chief's apologetic expression into one containing a smile until Lauren found her voice.

"Hey, we may not have ever said 'for better or for worse' but it has always been implied. I'm always here for you and I always will be. Always."

Bo's heart pounded hard inside her chest, not because Lauren's statement was something new to her but because she felt the same way. Without any hesitation, the brunette took one step into Lauren and kissed her. She wrapped her functional arm around Lauren and held her with the strength she always had. The kiss was full of love and appreciation. Slow but passionate, that kiss expressed Bo's feelings more than words really ever could.

Since their relationship began, Bo never cared much if she and Lauren were married or not. The dedication to one another; taking care of one another was something they did anyway. Bo felt like she was already married to the doctor and had acted as such for as long as she could remember. Never before did Bo feel the need for a piece of paper exclaiming it so. At least, not until now.

There were occasions during the past three years when Bo sustained a minor injury. A broken finger or broken toe, a cracked rib even from that one winter she had a bitter cold and coughed so hard she had broken it. But in all her years, Bo never had an injury that scared her or Lauren as much as this one. Three days in a hospital made a person think a lot about a lot of things, and one of those things was how Lauren and Charlotte would have moved forward had Bo not been so lucky in that fire. It made Bo's fierce protective nature explode into a massive storm of thought.

If Bo's injuries would heal well enough that she could continue her career, there would always be the possibility of another accident. It was a risk associated with her career. And while it wasn't a particular thought Bo wanted to put out into the universe or dwell on too much, it was still one that made her think about planning. Part of that planning included taking care of her family.

Focusing on the warmth of Lauren standing so close to Bo, the Fire Chief broke off the kiss slowly. She lingered in Lauren's airspace as she licked her lips, memorizing the overwhelming swell of love filling the moment. A smile formed as Bo's eyes fluttered open, staring at Lauren who had been caught off guard by the unexpected encounter. Never had Bo imagined this type of love was possible, and yet here she stood: staring at the very woman who was proving every day that it was a reality.

Bo looked over the doctor's facial expression: one of pure love with a hint of surprise from the welcome kiss. Bo could have stood there for a lifetime and drown in the sight, considering every moment with Lauren as time well spent. There really was no great way to grasp the swell of feelings flooding Bo's chest. They were all so powerful and fulfilling that the brunette's mind associated such amazement with profound respect. Despite the potential issues with her arm, Bo knew she had everything in the world literally at her fingertips. Lauren was the love of her life. She had come into Bo's world with everything the brunette could ever want. Love. Compassion. Laughter. Appreciation. Respect. Devotion. Family.

The spontaneity of this moment did not undermine Bo's next thoughts. It may have been unique timing that lacked any plan, but the moment felt perfect. Bo didn't care that they were standing in a dimly lit garage surrounded by muscle cars and a BMW. She didn't care that she was going to be off work for a while as she healed, quite possibly longer if this injury was worse than she hoped. She only cared that Lauren stood with her, and in the end, that would be the only thing that mattered any way.

"Marry me," Bo blurted out.

Her words came forward quickly and loudly. She spoke them intentionally with conviction, so much that Lauren smiled and formed a curious expression on her face.

"What?" Lauren replied.

Bo smiled wider this time.

"Marry me. I know we are standing in the garage and I don't even have a ring, and maybe this is the least romantic thing I've ever done, but I want you to marry me. It can be as big or as small as you want. Hell we can just run downtown and sign the paper or we can plan the biggest, most elaborate party you could possible dream of. All I know is that I want to be married to you."

"You want to get married?" Lauren asked.

The surprise on her face was mixed with a smile, and Bo pressed on.

"More than anything, Lauren. I…I don't know why we haven't done it sooner, but I want it. I want you to marry me. I will spend the rest of my life loving you, so yes, yes I want us to be married and I want it on that piece of paper. I want the world to know that I am yours and you are mine and no matter what, we are a family."

Bo's words quivered slightly. The gleam in Lauren's eyes grew brighter as her eyelids held back the tears welling up, and Bo watched her carefully in the hopes of memorizing every minute of this moment.

With one deep breath, Bo continued. "I'd kneel, but I'd likely struggle to get back up, so I'll just stand here and ask you: Doctor Lauren Lewis, will you marry me and do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Lauren's expression remained full of shock but it quickly showed a swell of emotion. Like many couples, the subject of marriage had been discussed once or twice before. It only really had taken a serious tone when Charlotte was born. Truthfully it was something they thought to do more so of convenience and legality to protect their daughter than for any other reason. But like so many other things in life, the idea was placed on a shelf to be visited when there was more time. And ever since, it had simply sat on that shelf and collected a bit of dust.

Lauren could not stop the tears that crested her eyelids and rolled down her cheeks. Three days ago, Lauren had been served a bitter reminder of fear. She spent almost every moment since overthinking everything: from what if's to what now's. She had retreated to the deepest corners of her heart and mind. And for three days, Lauren made silent promises she knew she would never break. Now more than ever, her emotions were running high. She had always maintained an intense connection with Bo, one that had only forged into the strongest of bonds as time passed. Hearing Bo's words, feeling her love and seeing the sparkle in her eyes as they stood in that space made Bo's question the easiest one she would ever answer.

"Of course I will marry you, Bo."

That sparkle in Bo's eyes brightened the moment Lauren replied. Her emotions overwhelmed her, so much that her tears of joy quickly formed. Her throat felt dry and she was choked up on the moment.

"Are you sure? Even without the ring? And even though we're standing in the garage?"

She sniffled as she laughed gently, and Lauren laughed with her. Their embrace tightened and both women smothered the other's cheek with kisses. Through happy tears and a hug that would linger at length, Lauren replied with a whisper against Bo's ear.

"Of course I'm sure. I love you Bo Dennis."

Bo buried her face in Lauren's neck. She held her tight, enjoying the swell of emotion between them. "Good. Because I love you too. Always."

xxxx


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's Note: Sorry for the delay for those of you still reading. I'll try to wrap this up in a few more chapters so you don't have to keep waiting forever. It's definitely something I will finish because I don't want to abandon it, so thank you for your patience while I struggle through this horrendous writer's block and lack of time._

xxx

 _The Next Morning_

Bo held back the groan filling her throat. An agonized complaint hovered on the verge of escape but her unwavering tightened jaw refrained from letting out even the quietest sound. Her eyes watered from the pain in her shoulder but she refused to cry, scream or even move from her current position. While the fire chief could control her outward expression of the pain she felt, Bo had no control over her body's other responses. Her heart beat escalated as quickly as the sweat formed across her face. She tried to keep a calm breathing pattern but she huffed the oxygen in and out through her nose while she tried to manage the pain. The doctors had told her it would hurt for several more days until it recognizably lessened: boy they were not kidding.

Waking up from sharp pains surrounded by throbbing was not something Bo looked forward to on future mornings, but she desperately wanted to avoid pain medication as much as possible. Taking any of it would simply make her groggy and emotional, and not in a good way.

When a moment of reprieve came about, Bo rolled her head against the pillow and glanced to Lauren's side of the bed. The doctor was swallowed up in a mound of pillows. Usually the blonde would be wrapped around Bo, but due to the fire chief's injuries, Lauren intentionally laid a row of pillows down the middle of the bed to keep her from rolling on Bo during the night. As much as Bo wanted Lauren cuddled against her, the thought of anything jarring her shoulder at the moment made her nauseous.

Her struggle to get out of bed was enough to pull that pain to Bo's lips. She grunted through pierced lips while pushing herself off the mattress, and that sound was loud enough to pull Lauren out of her deep slumber.

Bo stumbled into the bathroom as the sickness in her stomach began to quickly overtake her defiance of it. She kept the light off, preferring darkness as the thought of bright light made her feel worse. The cool tile on the floor felt comforting as her bare feet crossed the bathroom. The sensation was brief as she dropped to her knees and felt the swell of sickness rising in her throat.

Dry heaves followed, and unfortunately the physical motion of such tensed all her muscles and sent jolting pain through her arm and shoulder. Her mind cursed the beam that fell on her and the universe for allowing it to happen. She had been a great firefighter and an even better fire chief. Why did this have to happen? Why did it have to hurt so badly? One by one, the questions filled Bo's mind and tore down her emotions.

It was a mix of crying and attempts to throw up that brought Lauren to the bathroom to check on Bo. She pushed the door open and felt her own heart break at the sight. Quickly, she grabbed a wash cloth and ran it under the coldest of water. Lauren squeezed out the excess water and knelt down beside her fiancé. Without words, she patted the cold cloth on the back of Bo's neck as the brunette sobbed and coughed and tried to regain control over her body.

With a careful hand, Lauren moved the cloth to Bo's forehead as her heaving subsided. She felt the heat radiating off Bo's face and hoped the cool cloth would make her feel better.

As Bo regained a bit of composure, her breathing evened out but she remained on the bathroom floor.

"You okay, Bo?" Lauren whispered.

Bo wiped her chin with the back of her hand.

"Now I realize why the hospital pumped me full of pain medicine for the past few days."

Lauren nodded as she gained understanding of the situation. Bo was in pain. Being a doctor, Lauren was familiar with the pain an injury like this could trigger. There was very little Lauren could do outside of encourage Bo to take something to ease the throbbing, but that didn't stop the doctor from trying to think of alternatives. Lauren moved back to the sink and ran the wash cloth under the cold water again. Returning to Bo's side and with the gentlest of motions, Lauren began to dab the back of Bo's neck once more. She wiped her forehead, down both cheeks and even the bridge of her nose. It was the tiniest offering of assistance but she hoped it would ease Bo's mind a little.

"Thanks hon," Bo whispered.

Lauren forced a smile despite her heart breaking for Bo. "You're welcome. I know you said no pain meds, but one won't hurt. I'm home all day and Cassie will be here to help with Charlotte. We'll be able to manage while you take some time to rest and heal."

Bo tried to stand when another sharp pain shot through her shoulder. She started to sweat again but held back further tears, desperate to fight through another wave of nausea. The fire chief squeezed her eyes shut and breathed slow, deep breaths until the pain lessened slightly.

"I can't do this Lauren. Good gods I feel like I'm going to die."

Careful to keep her tone balanced between sympathetic and clinical, Lauren responded.

"I know it feels like that, but you're not going to die. You're the strongest woman I know, and you're going to get through this."

Bo shook her head, mumbling between fresh tears and sadness. "I don't feel strong. I can't even get up off the floor. I'm not going to be able to hold Charlotte. I'm not going to be able to work out. I'm not going to be able to do my damn job."

Lauren placed her hand gently on Bo's lower back. She maintained the contact as she spoke, hoping desperately to help Bo get through this moment of struggle.

"We're going to do everything we can to get you able to do all those things. When I say you are the strongest woman I know, I don't just mean physically. You have always been determined and driven, Bo. That's still in you. It hasn't gone anywhere. It's perfectly acceptable to feel down and sad, pissed off and angry. But part of this needs time, and I know that's hard because you just have to wait. No matter how long it takes, I'm right here with you."

Lauren didn't know if her words would help or not, but Bo wiped her tears and found some of that inner strength to regain some composure while slumped on the bathroom floor. It was only a few minutes until Bo finally accepted Lauren's earlier recommendation.

"Okay can you give me something light? Nothing prescription, but I feel so damn awful that I may not be able to hold it down anyway."

Lauren nodded. "Maybe a piece of bland food will help. Want me to help you up? Or you want to stay right there?"

Bo accepted Lauren's help off the floor. She whimpered a bit until she was on two feet again. She even allowed Lauren to put some toothpaste on her brush so she could try to rid her mouth of a very nasty taste. It was not a few moments later that Lauren guided Bo back to the bedroom and help her get propped up in the bed with her arm nestled safely in a giant stack of pillows.

Lauren retrieved some mild over the counter pain medicine from the bathroom and a bottle of water from the kitchen. She even grabbed a plain bagel from the counter and took it to Bo, unsure if food or medicine on an empty stomach would trigger her nausea again. It was difficult to see Bo in such pain. From the time they had met, Bo had always been the rock: the solid, steady one in the relationship. She was Lauren's support through good and bad times, and now to have the roles reversed simply terrified the blonde. Lauren was frazzled. She wanted to do everything right to help Bo, but seeing her in such agony tore away at Lauren's heart.

Bo took the medication and ate a few bites of the bagel while Lauren sat on the bed next to her. The doctor wiped her face a few more times until Bo finally relaxed and seem to get in a less painful place. Lauren listened to Bo's breathing calm as they just sat there, quiet but with full attention on one another.

"Would you like to watch some tv?" Lauren finally asked.

Bo glanced to Lauren and formed the faintest of smiles.

"Aww thanks baby. Maybe in a little bit. Can you put the remote by my good hand?"

Lauren did just as Bo asked, making sure she could reach it without barely any movement.

"I think the medicine is helping," Bo whispered. "I don't feel like I'm going to die on the bathroom floor anymore."

They both smiled despite the sadness lingering between them. For Lauren, it was hard to watch a loved one go through pain. For Bo, it was just as hard to be in a pain that her strength could not overcome immediately.

Lauren placed a gentle kiss to Bo's forehead. Her lips lingered close to Bo's skin as she whispered. "Good. Hopefully it will keep the edge off enough to keep you from having another bathroom floor moment."

Bo tilted her chin upward, glancing at Lauren with a smile.

"Thank you Lauren. Really, for everything. I don't know what I would do without you."

Lauren placed her hand on Bo's cheek, caressing it lovingly as she replied.

"You don't have to thank me, Bo. I love you. I'm here for you. I'm going to stay put, right here in this house, until you are feeling good enough to move around on your own. I'm in no hurry to go back to work. I'm going to be right with you every step of the way, okay babe?"

Breaking their conversation, a little voice echoed through the baby monitor. Morning baby talk from little Charlotte pulled smiles from both women.

"Sounds like that's my cue," Lauren replied. She leaned over and placed one more gentle kiss, this time on Bo's cheek. "Be right back."

xxxx

Bo slept most of the morning. It gave Lauren ample time to bathe and feed Charlotte, clean up the house, selectively reply to some work emails and read a new journal article about some experimental procedures going through trials on nerve damage. All in all, it was a very productive morning for the doctor.

It was almost noon when she decided to finally make a phone call that was on her mind all morning. While Cassie was playing with Charlotte in the living room, Lauren stepped out the sliding glass doors to the back patio. Lauren looked around, appreciating the privacy of their property before she walked off the patio and into the grassy yard. With intention, Lauren walked quite a distance away from the house to ensure no one could hear her on the phone. Satisfied she had walked far enough, Lauren ducked behind a large tree and quickly dialed her best friend's number. While she hoped this call would be different than the last several, Lauren frowned when, as usual, the call rang and rang until voice mail picked up.

Prepared for the very result, Lauren waited until the beep and then spoke.

"Um hey Tamsin, it's me. Uhhh, I miss you. Come home. Soooo...Bo was hurt, and she was in the hospital for a few days, but you may already know this is Evony got the information to you by now. Anyway, she's home now, and she asked me to marry her. Marry her Tamsin! To which I replied yes, of course. Well anyway, there's no way in hell I can marry her without you present, so get your ass home. Please! I know your work is important, but I'm gonna be the neediest friend in the world right now and tell you to please just tell your work to fuck off." She paused before ending with, "And be safe. Your niece Charlotte misses you too. And we all love you to pieces. Hurry home. Bye."

Not a moment later, Lauren dialed a second number. She listened to the phone ring three times before she heard the familiar voice of her soon-to-be sister-in-law, Kenzi, finally pick up.

"Hola, doc. You must have ESP!"

"ESP? Why's that?" Lauren replied.

"'Cause I'm pulling into your driveway right now."

Lauren immediately began walking back toward the house. "Oh okay Kenz. I'm in the back yard. I'll meet you inside."

"Roger that, doc."

Kenzi ended the call and with quick steps, Lauren crossed through the back yard and returned inside their home through the sliding glass patio doors.

Kenzi was already in the house, dumping her personal belongings on the dining room table.

"Hey Kenz, how's it going?" Lauren asked as she hugged her future sister-in-law.

"Oh not too bad. Just left my appointment with the good ole therapist. You know, someone has got to keep my head screwed on straight, right?"

Lauren released Kenzi from their embrace and smiled at her. Kenzi's voice was full of sarcasm and humor in that statement, a typical trait she held since Lauren first met her. There were moments when Kenzi didn't joke too much about therapy or her progress, but those were the moments that usually concerned Lauren. One thing the blonde had learned about Kenzi over the years was that she was in a good place when she joked. It's when she stopped that people needed to worry.

"Appointments going well?" Lauren asked as they pulled out chairs and sat down at the dining room table.

"Yep. It's taken long enough, don't cha think?" Kenzi quipped.

Lauren held her smile but reached across the table and took Kenzi's hand into her own.

"There is no time frame on healing, remember?"

Kenzi squeezed Lauren's hand in return and nodded. "I know. It's just sometimes I feel like this will haunt me forever. I mean, I don't feel my heart race anymore that I'm in a bad place, and I don't push furniture against the doors at night anymore."

Lauren remembered those nights. It was a battle she and Bo worked through with Kenzi on many, many occasions, when they would show up to see Kenzi and it would take twenty minutes for the scared young lady to remove the barricade inside the door just to let them in.

"I am glad you feel safer now than before," Lauren stated, careful not to push the conversation too far beyond her own abilities. After all, she may have been a doctor but Lauren was not a doctor who had her specialty in therapy of this nature.

Kenzi leaned back in her chair and nodded again.

"I do feel safer." She gulped hard before continuing. "Rationally, I know he's dead and I am alive. Just sometimes I'm terrified that I'm going to get sucked back into that world and not ever find a way out again."

Lauren was cautious with her replies, showing support and care for what Kenzi experienced every day.

"You're stronger than you realize, Kenz."

The younger woman shrugged as she glanced across the room. "Eh, maybe. But enough about me. How's my big sister doing? Is she trying to get back into the gym already?"

Lauren laughed at the statement. "Well not yet, but I imagine that will be something she says in the next day or two. Actually, today she had a bout with the porcelain god."

"Oh no," Kenzi cringed.

"Her pain is a ten, and she's stubborn on taking any strong pain meds."

"Yep. That's Bo, for sure." Kenzi commented.

A silence hung between them for a beat, not that it was uncomfortable at all. The two women had grown to know each other well over the years, so the sounds of nothing except for Charlotte and Cassie playing in the next room over was not out of the ordinary. Kenzi reached for her purse and opened it, digging around for something momentarily. She removed a square brightly colored card and began to read aloud.

"Fifty percent off the entire store this Friday, Saturday and Sunday only!"

Kenzi handed the card to Lauren, who immediately recognized the department store name on the card. It is where she and Kenzi had shopped for evening attire for last year's Firefighter Ball.

"I think we should go shopping this weekend. The big night is not that far away and mama needs a need pair of shoes AND a dress!"

Kenzi's excitement was evident, but Lauren remained reserved while she thought about going out shopping for a dress. Bo had just come home from the hospital. Lauren had responsibilities here with Bo and Charlotte. Hell, Lauren didn't even know if Bo would still want to go to the ball. She immediately felt prepared to defend the possibility of not shopping at all.

"Looks like a great sale, Kenz."

Kenzi cocked her head and narrowed her brows. "I feel a 'but' coming on."

Lauren took a deep breath. "But...I can't go shopping this weekend. I need to be here for Bo and..."

A raspy voice echoed over Lauren's shoulder and interrupted her statement. "And Bo can handle a few hours on her own while her lovely fiancé goes shopping with her lovely sister."

Both Kenzi and Lauren directed their attention to Bo, who stood leaning against the wall under the archway to the living room. Her hair was a mess, sticking up in multiple directions. Dark circles weighed heavily under her eyes, and the old t-shirt she was wearing did little to conceal the fact that Bo was not wearing a bra. It was difficult to not laugh, but both Kenzi and Lauren snickered at the sight of Bo looking so disheveled.

"Fiancé! Wait what?! When did that happen? And shit, Bobo you look like hell," Kenzi announced.

"Kenz!" Lauren shot back.

Kenzi shrugged. "What? Look at her. She looks like she just came out of the clothes dryer after an hour long cycle."

Lauren allowed a laugh to escape. Even Bo laughed as she tried to smooth out her hair.

"Thanks Kenz, I love you too."

Kenzi smiled back at Bo, who was now moving toward the table to join them. Lauren quickly pulled out a seat for her.

"Thanks babe," Bo replied as she sat down at the table.

Quick to divert the subject off of shopping, Lauren spoke. "How are you feeling, hon?"

Bo leaned back in the chair and nodded. Her sleepy eyes told Lauren a lot, but she waited for Bo to divulge more than just what her appearance told the doctor.

"I don't feel like I'm going to die anymore, so that's good."

Kenzi placed her hands up, palms forward. "Hold the phone buster. Let's go back to your fiancé statement!"

Bo allowed a smile to form as she looked to Lauren, who smiled back at her. The love between them was evident as a glow surrounded the pair.

"I asked Lauren to marry me, and she said yes."

Kenzi threw her hands up in the air and rolled her eyes. "It's about freaking time!"

They laughed together. Bo grabbed at her shoulder briefly when her laughing caused a bit too much movement, but she quickly brushed it off as they continued the conversation.

"So when are you going to tell the world? You both know I can only keep a secret for so long!" Kenzi added.

"I don't know; we really didn't discuss a formal announcement, did we?" Bo asked Lauren.

Lauren shook her head. "No we didn't, but I'm open to whatever you'd like, dear."

Bo tilted her head to the side, deep in thought. "What about at Sunday Supper? Let's have everyone over on Sunday and we can tell them."

"Are you okay with a houseful of people so soon after leaving the hospital?" Lauren asked.

"Yes, but I think we'll need to order take out unless someone else wants to cook."

Kenzi stood up quickly. "Good lawd, you want me to keep my mouth shut until Sunday?! Sheesh! This is going to take effort. Okay, I can do it. Plus, I'll take care of the food and alerting the usual suspects to come over at the usual time."

"We are not ordering pizza, Kenz," Bo replied sternly.

"Pizza!? Do you think moi would ever order pizza for Sunday supper? Have no fear! I'll take care of everything!"

xxxxx

The remainder of the day passed by quickly. The sun had worn out its welcome and slowly receded on the horizon. Bo's exhaustion had taken hold once more, forcing her to retreat to the bedroom, where she currently sat propped up on the bed. The television was on but muted, not that Bo paid much attention to the random show anyway. Instead, she sat happily watching Lauren play with Charlotte next to her on the over-sized bed.

Charlotte kept pulling the blanket over her head, giggling when Lauren vocalized how Charlotte had disappeared. Her stuffed otter toy remained firmly in her little hand's grip, flooding Bo's mind with happy memories of their many, many trips to the zoo. Bo suppressed the yawn that fought to escape, not wanting to ruin their family time by dozing off. She always loved these private moments with family. Truthfully, the three of them did this a lot: playing, smiling, laughing. It was not uncommon for Bo, Lauren and Charlotte to just sit and enjoy playtime, whether it was with stuffed animals or coloring books, walks through their back yard or yes, even just playing peek a boo with the bed sheet. Bo would not change these moments for the world; well, except for her current physical state at least.

Bo knew patience was something she had to maintain while her body healed. It was a struggle, but she had to focus on keeping patient. After all, she wasn't the only one struggling. Bo appreciated every extra task and every extra moment Lauren took to help her get through this. She certainly didn't want to put more on Lauren than she already had. It just wasn't fair of her to do that. If anything, Bo wanted to heal quickly so much of this burden was sitting on Lauren's shoulders. Taking care of Charlotte and Bo, not to mention her job and running their entire household, was an incredible task. The Fire Chief was grateful they had Cassie to help out, but ultimately, Bo wanted Lauren to get some much needed "Lauren time" no matter what else needed done.

"Lauren?" Bo whispered to get her attention.

Lauren poked her head around the pillow she was hiding behind with Charlotte. "Yes?"

"I really want you to go shopping with Kenzi this weekend."

Lauren's smile didn't fade, but her heart was struggling with going out to enjoy the day while Bo's injury was so fresh.

"I'm not sure this weekend is great timing, hon."

Bo interrupted quickly. "It's actually the perfect weekend. You are off work because of, well, because of me, and Cassie is around, plus I'm not feeling sick in the stomach anymore so I'm certain I'll be able to assist Cassie with Charlotte duties while you enjoy the day."

"But..."

"Lauren, please."

Bo's voice strained on the word _please_. She grew quieter as she said it. Lauren was not mistaken as she saw tiny pools of tears well on Bo's lower eye lids. She felt the weight of what Bo was saying. It wasn't that Bo wanted her to go spend the day shopping; it was that Bo wanted their lives to be just like they usually would be had the accident not happened. She wanted them to maintain some semblance of normalcy despite the situation being anything but normal.

Lauren figured this type of thing would happen eventually. "This thing" being Bo wanting to pretend there was no injury; there was no accident. Lauren knew Bo well enough to know she would need to still remain "Bo." She just didn't expect it so quickly after Bo came home from the hospital. She figured Bo wouldn't push Lauren to go do "her thing" until at least a week has passed. Boy, was she wrong.

The doctor picked up Charlotte and the stuffed otter. She scooted closer to Bo on the bed and placed a gentle kiss on the brunette's cheek. She directed her gaze directly at Bo's eyes.

"Are you sure?" she asked despite already knowing the answer.

Bo nodded in the affirmative. "Absolutely sure."

Lauren exhaled deeply, resolved to the fact that Bo would win this conversation.

"Okay. I'll text Kenzi and let her know that our shopping trip is on."

Lauren placed another gentle kiss to Bo's cheek, this time lingering closer to her ear before she spoke again.

"And when I'm shopping for a sexy dress to wear to the ball, I'll text you pictures from the dressing room."

Bo instantly blushed and smiled wide. The threat of any tears flooding forward was gone, replaced immediately by a smile as the very happy Fire Chief had a wave of dirty thoughts run through her mind.

"That will be a great Saturday for me too, then."

xxx


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's Note: Hi all! Hope you're enjoying summer (or winter depending on your corner of the world) - here's a little update to keep the story flowing - hope you enjoy it. Thanks for continuing to read along :)_

xxxxxx

 _Saturday morning_

Lauren held the door open, allowing Kenzi to walk through to the stairwell. The doctor followed behind, and together they climbed several sets of stairs, only speaking once they arrived to the platform of the fourth floor.

"Do you take the stairs every day? Lord! I am already exhausted and we haven't even started shopping yet!"

Lauren flung open one additional heavy steel door leading to the familiar hallway.

"Most days, yes. Sorry for this short pit stop before we hit the stores."

Kenzi waved her hands in the air as she stepped into the cooler hallway.

"It's totally cool, doc. I know your dedication to patients. I was one of them once, remember?"

She tossed a wink at Lauren, who returned a smile at the memory.

"Feels like a lifetime ago, Kenz."

"It sure does, except this hospital still looks as drab today as it did back then. They really need a decorator."

The ladies proceeded down the hallway and walked by several staff members who nodded and smiled at them, which Lauren returned with the same courtesy. Finally rounding the corner, Lauren and Kenzi slowed their steps as they made their way through a maze of patient equipment that was being moved out of a vacant room.

"Doctor Lewis?"

Lauren halted and turned at the sound of her name. She immediately spied Darcy exiting another patient's room nearby.

"Hi Darcy."

"Good morning. Is everything okay? I thought you were off duty while Chief Dennis was recovering?"

Quick to reassure Darcy that everything was fine, she replied. "Yes, everything is okay and yes, I am technically off duty. Bo is being patient and taking time to heal. I am actually here to see one of my patients before he is discharged."

Showing her relief, Darcy's tense shoulders immediately relaxed. "Oh, you must mean your crash patient?"

Lauren nodded. "Yes. I got a call overnight from Doctor Miller that he was discharging him today. I just wanted to check on him before he left. Kenzi and I are actually heading out for a shopping day, but I convinced her stop here first."

Kenzi smiled wide and leaned toward Darci. "She bribed me with chocolate."

Darcy leaned against the wall and smiled. "Of course she did." Darcy directed her attention to Lauren and continued. "I tell you all the time that they just don't make them like you anymore, Doctor Lewis, and I certainly mean it."

The compliment was welcome and Lauren accepted it with a smile. She knew her work ethic bordered obsession. After all, what doctor sneaks into work to see a patient while her fiancé is home healing from a recent injury? Lauren justified the stop in her mind, knowing that Bo wanted her to go shopping with Kenzi. She just left a little early to stop by the hospital before hitting the stores by nine am.

"Thanks Darcy."

With the simple thank you, Lauren and Kenzi returned on their walk toward Vex's room. They reached it quickly, pausing just outside the closed door.

"Give me five minutes," Lauren whispered to Kenzi.

Kenzi held both thumbs up. "You got it, doc. Every minute over five will require an additional chocolate bribe, so times a' tickin'."

Lauren put her hand on Kenzi's shoulder and gave her a very serious glance. "Kenz, I don't want to delay our shopping trip, so you have my permission to knock on the door in exactly five minutes, if I am still in there."

Kenzi grabbed her cell phone, flicked through a few screens until she opened up the clock app. "Andddd go!" Kenzi stated as she held up the stopwatch already in progress.

Lauren turned and entered Vex's room, where she found him standing at the window with his back to her.

"Good morning," Lauren announced as she gently closed the door behind her and proceeded to the sink to wash her hands.

Her greeting grabbed the man's attention, who quickly spun around and smiled. His hair was perfectly messy and his face was neatly shaven. The clean clothes he wore resembled punk rocker attire, but they were not torn or dirty like the clothing he arrived wearing the night he was admitted.

"Well, well, well. Hello, Doctor Lewis. So lovely to see you again before my departure."

Vex took three steps to Lauren and extended his right arm, which Lauren accepted to shake his hand. His grip was firm, a very good sign of his quick healing. Lauren couldn't help but glance down at his forearm, curious as to the appearance of where his injury occurred.

Her wandering eyes were not lost on Vex, who immediately rolled his arm while still hand in hand with Lauren so that she could have a better view of it.

"Look at that, doc. Healing up nicely, with the exception of this stitching and such. Perhaps it will leave a bit of scarring, but I can certainly live with that."

He released his grip on her hand and flexed his fingers, demonstrating the functionality he never lost.

Lauren examined his arm carefully. She glanced over the stitched up incisions and took Vex through a series of finger and hand motions to establish tendon and ligament strain or damage. The doctor was pleased with his ability to complete every task without fail.

"Your range of motion looks extremely promising," Lauren stated.

"I'd say I have had excellent progress, but honestly I don't think I lost much mobility. I'd say your surgical techniques are to thank for that, doc."

With humility, Lauren replied. "I'd say the lack of severe damage is to thank for that, Vex."

Vex continued to flex his fingers, admiring his own abilities. "Well I don't know about that. I clearly recall the pain shooting through my arm to the point I thought I was going to lose the whole thing. I'd say you get some credit for this, yes?"

Lauren walked across the room to wash her hands again. She scrubbed up quickly and replied. "I am very happy to see it healing so well. Did Doctor Miller give you follow up instructions?"

"Yes, I have a rigorous physical therapy schedule ahead, but I welcome it. I think I have made it clear that I need a fully functioning arm, and I intend to do everything in my power to make that happen."

Lauren tossed the paper towel in the garbage can and walked toward Vex again. "I'm glad you're going about this the right way. Stick to your therapy, and don't overdo it."

Vex finally lowered his arm to his side and smiled at Lauren. His smile was pleasant and welcoming. His entire demeanor seemed nothing but grateful.

"I really cannot thank you enough, Doctor Lewis. It's quite a challenge to think your career may be over when it's such an integral part of who you are."

The weight of Vex's words lingered heavily with Lauren. In her heart, Lauren knew that Bo was experiencing the very same thing. Bo was a Fire Chief. Her career was such a huge part of her identity. Losing that could devastate the strongest of people. The thought of Bo struggling with that potential loss made Lauren cringe.

She swallowed hard, feeling the rise of tension in her neck as her brain immediately began to over-process Bo's chances of a full recovery. She had looked over the imaging of Bo's arm dozens of times since the accident. She shared a similar level of familiarity with Vex's arm imaging. Truthfully, his was better situated that hers. It was a different part of the arm all together and a different type of injury, but nonetheless, Lauren struggled from drawing comparisons.

Vex quickly noticed Lauren's shift in demeanor coupled with her silence.

"Doctor Lewis? You seem heavy with thought," Vex stated.

Pulled from that thought, Lauren quickly refocused on the moment. She cracked a smile and shook her head, knowing her drifting thoughts would be difficult to cover up. She ran her hand through her hair, trying to shake off the funk that appeared out of nowhere.

"Well, you must be a martial arts instructor and a mind reader then. I am sorry for that. Where were we?"

Quietly, Vex walked back toward the window and glanced outside. He spoke without turning around.

"You know, I believe that a balanced mental health will always promote physical healing. Simplified, it's the basis of the whole 'if you're happy, you won't get sick' theory. I don't need to give a doctor my advice, but if you are feeling strained or overwhelmed or tense from something weighing on your mind, it will impact your physical well-being."

His words resonated deeply with her, but Lauren immediately attempted to deflect.

"I like that approach, Vex. I always tell patients to try to relax and clear their minds of stress, so I suppose I should listen to myself, huh?" Lauren joked.

Vex turned back around and looked at Lauren. "Trust me, it works. I teach it as part of my classes."

"Do you?" Lauren asked with genuine curiosity.

"Absolutely. Mind over matter, as they say."

Lauren remained fixed in thought. She always believed that a positive mental state was healthy, but even the strongest of people struggled with obstacles. She probably could have slipped into deep thought about this for some time, but the echo of a loud knocking pulled her out of it quickly. Before Lauren realized it, Vex had opened the door to none other than Kenzi Dennis, still keeping time of her five minute window.

"Sorry to interrupt but Doctor Lewis is on a tight schedule," Kenzi announced as she stepped one foot inside the hospital room. Quickly looking over Vex, she immediately changed her tone. "Wow I love your hair! And that look..." Kenzi waved her finger up and down..."you pull it off perfectly!"

Vex stood a little taller and smiled. "Well it is my signature look. And who might you be?" Vex asked.

Lauren immediately interrupted. "Sorry this is Kenzi, my time keeper."

Kenzi extended her hand to Vex. "Don't let her forget friend, soon to be sister-in-law, shopping guru, fashionista and overall badass."

"Well outside of soon-to-be sister-in-law, we sound like the same person. Do you happen to also be a martial arts instruction?"

Kenzi's eyes grew wide. "No but sign me up! I'm all about defending myself and kicking ass if needed."

"Well you should come to one of my classes then. See if it's something you'd like to get into." Vex reached for his pocket but paused. "Damn it I don't have any business cards on me."

"I'm sure Lauren can get your digits from the hospital," Kenzi quipped.

"No Kenzi I cannot get a patient's 'digits' from the hospital. I can, however, give a patient my business card." Lauren had already pulled one from her purse and handed it to Vex.

"Please feel free to email me your contact information and I will happily share it with Kenzi."

"Thank you, doc. And you should consider my class as well. Remember what I said about mental health. Maybe it would help."

Kenzi cocked her head. "Mental health? You getting Bobo into his class too? She's gonna need it - I bet she's so stir crazy at home that you either have a wall knocked down by now or a new one put up somewhere."

"Bobo?" Vex asked.

Lauren explained. "Bo, my fiancé, who is Kenzi's sister, is healing through an injury to her arm as well. While she is not a martial arts instructor, she is a Fire Chief, and the extent of her injuries has not yet been established."

Vex folded his arms across his chest. "Ahhh, so therein lies the focus of your mind, as it should be." Vex paused and Lauren simply nodded before he continued. "I'm sorry to hear she was hurt. I certainly wish her a speedy recovery, and Doctor Lewis, as I said before, if there is anything I can ever do to repay you..."

Lauren's mind was in overdrive. She didn't know if this was going to be a good idea or one that blew up in her face, but before she could over-analyze it like everything else, the doctor simply blurted out the only request she could think of.

"Actually, do you have plans tomorrow? I mean, we are having our closest friends and family over for a weekly gathering - we call it Sunday supper. Mostly we just eat and hang out. Would you like to join us? Maybe some of your positive thinking could rub off on her?"

Vex smiled wide and clapped his hands together.

"Well I certainly wouldn't want to intrude on your dinner plans, but if you're inviting me for dinner with your friends and family, and this fashionista is going to be there to tell me all about how she gets her mascara so perfect, then I'd certainly accept the invitation. Just tell me what I can bring."

xxx

 _Later that evening_

With her purchased dress in hand, Lauren closed the car door and crossed through their over-sized garage. A few more steps and she was inside their house, where the lights were dimmed and most of the interior of the home was lit only by the fading daylight peering through the windows. A few candles placed around the dining room highlighted the immediate room Lauren was standing in, and the doctor smiled at the table set for two. The blonde immediately noticed the dishes on the table were not their typical "everyday use" items. Instead, they were from the nicest set of dishes that Bo and Lauren owned, and Lauren's curiosity was immediate set ablaze.

Lauren hung the dress on the back of the door and tossed her purse aside.

"Bo?" Lauren called out as she walked through their home, immediately being drawn to the racket echoing from inside the kitchen.

Lauren paused her steps immediately in the archway leading into the kitchen. Her attention was directed to none other than her fiancé wearing an extremely short pair of shorts and a simple tank top while standing by the kitchen counter. Lauren allowed her eyes to travel up the length of Bo's body, admiring her physique. Her trail of sight then led to Bo's face, instantly recognizing that Bo wore a light tone of makeup and her hair was down. The bulky support around her arm was exposed but did not detract from the beauty Lauren saw in the Fire Chief.

"Well hello, gorgeous," Lauren announced to gain Bo's attention.

Bo quickly looked up from the counter and smiled.

"Hi, Laur. Welcome home," Bo replied.

Bo's tone was light and happy. It was a welcome greeting that relieved Lauren. The doctor had been gone all day. First to the hospital and then out shopping with Kenzi. Lauren was concerned most of the day about how Bo was faring, but the smile on the brunette's face told Lauren that the Fire Chief was in positive spirits.

Lauren crossed the kitchen and accepted a very welcome kiss from Bo.

Using her uninjured arm, Bo slid her hand over Lauren's shoulder. She glided her hand along the back of Lauren's neck, pulling her deeper into their kiss. Lauren's senses lit up. The kiss was far more passionate than a simple greeting, and it stirred a familiar want inside Lauren that she had pushed down since Bo had been injured. The kiss broke only when Lauren allowed a moan to escape, putting an even bigger smile on Bo's face.

"Wow that was one hell of a welcome home kiss," Lauren gasped. Her eyes remained closed while she savored the feelings building inside her.

Bo placed one additional brief kiss to Lauren's lips before releasing her hold on the blonde.

"I missed you. A lot," Bo replied as she quickly returned to the task she was working on prior to Lauren's arrival.

Lauren immediately missed Bo's touch as she pulled away, but the doctor opened her eyes to inspect what Bo was doing.

Bo continued on. "I kept busy today, but I'm really glad you're home. I am just getting our dinner ready. I hope you're hungry."

Lauren slid her hand on Bo's lower back. She leaned closer to Bo, whispering in her ear. "Well what's for dinner, besides that amazingly steamy hot kiss you just gave me?"

Bo felt the heat from Lauren's touch. Her smirk grew wider, but she kept focused on the task at hand. "Well, I was going to cook, but, obviously that wasn't going to work out very well with one arm. So instead, I ordered takeout. Well, actually Cassie picked up the takeout and dropped it off right before taking Charlotte over to Kenzi and Hale's for the night."

With a puzzled expression, Lauren tilted her head slightly and replied. "Wait, Kenzi didn't tell me she was babysitting tonight."

Bo smiled as she moved to open a large container of roasted vegetables. "I know, because I swore her to secrecy."

"Oh you did?" Lauren smirked.

Bo nodded in the affirmative. "Yes. You have spent all week taking care of me AND this household. You have been doing everything for this family. Everything. I really wanted to give you a great 'Lauren' day. And so now that you spent the day shopping and having friend time with Kenzi, I figured we could have a nice dinner and some very adult 'us' time."

Lauren immediately helped Bo move containers of food on the kitchen counter as she thought about Bo's words.

"Aww, this is very thoughtful Bo, thank you. I had a great day with your sister at the stores, but more than anything, I would love some very adult 'us' time."

Bo wiped her hand on a towel. "Me too love, especially after you messaged me those naughty pictures from the dressing room."

Lauren thought back to the numerous revealing photos she messaged to Bo throughout the day. She couldn't help but blush.

Bo looked Lauren directly in the eyes. "Trust me when I say, my arm may not be the way I want it to be, but my libido is working just fine. In fact, it's working more than fine, and those photos have me all worked up."

Lauren stepped into Bo's personal space and draped her arms loosely around Bo's neck. Her fingers dipped under the neckline of Bo's shirt, trailing over her neck along bare skin.

"Then maybe we should skip dinner," Lauren whispered.

Bo's smile was her typical million dollar smile. She bit her own bottom lip, staring deeply into Lauren's eyes. Their mutual chemistry ignited, but with an intent to follow through on her best laid plans, Bo stepped back one step and out of Lauren's hold.

"Babe, we are both definitely going to need energy, so dinner first. I promise it will be worth the wait. Plus, I want to hear all about your day."

With a smile, Lauren accepted dinner first. She would be patient, but just knowing that she and Bo were both on the same page in regards to physical intimacy made Lauren's heart flutter.

Together, the ladies carried the containers to the table and finished plating their dinner in the dining room. Lauren poured herself a glass of wine and also offered one to Bo, who opted for water instead. They sat down at the dining room table, staring at a spread of mixed roasted vegetables including sweet potatoes, beans, zucchini and red peppers accompanying a lightly seasoned grilled chicken.

"This looks so yummy, and healthy to boot," Lauren stated as she grabbed her fork.

"Agreed. It's from Pablo's, down at the square. I realized today that you have probably been living on frozen pizzas or fast food all week, so I wanted to get us something that resembled one of my usual homemade, tasty dinners."

Both women took a bite and immediately smiled at one another. Lauren even let out a throaty growl at how savory her first bite tasted. Bo barely finished swallowing before speaking.

"Yum. I will definitely be ordering from Pablo's again."

"Good call, babe. This tastes amazing. Definitely better than the shit I have been eating lately," Lauren replied.

Their dinner conversation was plentiful. Lauren told Bo all about shopping with Kenzi. She shared all the details of their shopping experience: from one store to the next to the next, until they went back to the very first store and bought the dresses they both wanted from the early hours of the morning. Bo asked tons of questions, trying to guess which dress Lauren ultimately settled on. Lauren promised she would show her after dinner, and Bo was content with that. She actually liked the element of surprise sometimes.

Bo could not deny that she missed Lauren all day, and that being home without her was incredibly difficult when only using one arm, but truthfully Bo was extremely happy that Lauren had a pleasant day with Kenzi. The brunette shared a humorous story of rearranging some stacks of paperwork on her desk in their home office, only to dump a folder on the floor and have papers scatter everywhere. The best part was Charlotte thinking it was some sort of game, and immediately grabbed another folder off the desk and threw the papers all over the floor as well.

Lauren couldn't help but laugh, yet in return she promised to help Bo clean up the papers Bo left on the office floor later that evening.

Somewhere between finishing dinner and sharing a small maple cannoli, Lauren decided the mood was light enough to bring up her patient Vex and Lauren's quick visit to the hospital earlier that morning. She didn't explain too many of the details outside of his arrival at the hospital, his profession, and her invite to him for Sunday supper the following day. Bo's reaction was more focused on his similar interests in fashion with Kenzi than on his similar arm injury to herself. All in all, Lauren took that as a good sign.

"Babe finish this cannoli. I'm stuffed," Lauren announced.

"Nope. I had one bite, and that was one bite too many for me," Bo replied.

"No way. You need to eat too, you know," Lauren replied.

Bo shook her head. "I have to eat protein and a lot of it. I'm going to hit the gym tomorrow after our friends and family gathering."

Her statement caught Lauren by surprise. She tried not to react too quickly. "Already? You ready for that?"

"I haven't worked out in a week. I'm going to get out of shape, and that cannoli won't help." Bo smiled as she said it, but Lauren felt an underlying vibe coming off Bo that made her probe further.

"Honey, it's only been a week. You could eat one hundred cannolis today and another one hundred tomorrow and you'd still look as sexy as you did last week."

Bo smiled as she stood from her chair. "Thanks babe, but it's time for me to get moving again." She leaned over and kissed Lauren on the cheek. "And don't worry, I promise I won't do anything strenuous that impacts my arm. Just some leg work and a lot of walking. You wouldn't want me getting all flabby now, would you?"

Bo carried one empty plate into the kitchen, leaving Lauren with a reeling mind in the dining room. She knew Bo well enough to understand her personal image concerns, and this red flag was definitely one Lauren would not forget about. However, seeing as to how lovely their evening was going, Lauren did not want to ruin it by challenging Bo's decision on the gym. At least not today. So without further ado, Lauren cleared the remainder of the plates and containers and joined Bo in the kitchen to load the dishwasher and clean up from their enjoyable meal.

Fifteen minutes later and Lauren was carrying her new dress into their home office. She found Bo sitting on the floor, sorting through the mess of papers, well, everywhere.

"Wow, you weren't kidding when you said papers were everywhere, huh?" Lauren chuckled.

Bo smiled, "I know, right? I think Charlotte dumped more than I did."

The both laughed, as Lauren hung the dress on the door. Bo eyed the bag carefully.

"Sooooo, are you going to show me the dress in that bag?" Bo asked.

"After I help you clean up the papers, yes."

Plopping onto the floor facing Bo, Lauren started sorting through the disheveled paperwork. Their conversation shifted to the papers themselves, mostly stuff Bo had been working on for the fire station before her accident. There were dozens of graded tests from fire fighter candidates. Bo explained the testing process to Lauren, who had already heard it several times before but could never remember it all.

Bo explained the process again as Lauren looked at each exam page she picked up from the floor. Being a top notch student in her own field, Lauren continuously sought out the highest grades on each sheet of paper, curious to who the leaders were for the open position at Station 55. She was amazed at how well some of the newbies did on the exam, but she was also equally amazed at how bad some of them performed.

"Wow, this one bombed it, huh?" Lauren stated as she handed a page to Bo.

Bo glanced at it, immediately replying. "Oh yeah that one should consider a different career. He will never work for me, that's for sure."

They continued to sort all the pages into new piles until Bo pulled the last piece of paper from the floor and put it on the top of the stack of papers. "Ahh and here it is...the highest score of the written exams."

Lauren snatched it out of her hands and pumped her fist once in the air when she saw the name.

"Yes! You said one female candidate was near the top, and I'm assuming this is her."

Bo nodded and smiled, but Lauren continued on. "What can I say? I like to see a woman beat out all the guys once in a while. It's like a small victory in some ways."

"I am, and will remain, completely unbiased," Bo replied. "Besides, these are only the written exams. The practical portion is next week. Those are weighted just as much as the written, so the competition is wide open."

Lauren took the neatly organized folders from Bo's lap and placed them back on the large desk before helping Bo to her feet. The doctor slid her arms around Bo's waist, holding the strong fire chief in her embrace as she spoke.

"Well I am cheering for her. Secretly, of course," Lauren replied.

With one arm around Lauren, Bo pulled her closer and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Of course," Bo whispered. "You know what I'm cheering for?"

Lauren furrowed her brow, thinking intently of an answer but coming up with nothing." "What?" she asked.

Bo placed one kiss to Lauren's right cheek followed by another kiss to Lauren's left cheek.

"I'm thinking..."

Bo nudged Lauren's chin upward, trailing kisses down her neck and back up it.

"...that I want nothing more..."

The fire chief slid her hand under Lauren's shirt, pulling her closer yet as she playfully bit on Lauren's shoulder and collarbone.

"...than to enjoy every inch of your body all night long."

Lauren's exhale was loud. Laced with a breathy moan, Lauren's words were absent but her reactions were not. Bo's touch, kisses and words all melded together beautifully to send Lauren's arousal through the roof. She slid her own hands down the front of Bo's chest, tugging slightly on the deep v neck line as her lips met Bo's for another steamy kiss.

Even Bo whimpered from their next kiss. It carried the essence of love and lust, hunger and fulfillment all in one. While Bo could have easily allowed Lauren to take the lead in the moment, the brunette was determined to show Lauren just how much strength she still retained despite the accident.

Their kisses grew in intensity. Breathing became shallower as they pressed forward. The heat of the moment and the excitement compounded between them. While this dance was so familiar from years of repetition, this moment was different as they needed to rework their typical mannerisms in light of Bo's injury. Lauren was desperate to get Bo out of her clothes and shed her own, but she opted to slower movements to avoid any accidental jarring or pain to Bo's arm.

Bo bit down on Lauren's neck, playfully teasing her as she unsnapped Lauren's bra with one hand.

"Gods babe, I want you," Bo whispered in Lauren's ear.

The feeling of Bo's breath sent Lauren over the edge. Her knees were already weak and she could feel the moisture pooling between her legs.

"I need you out of these clothes, stat," Lauren replied.

"You first," Bo replied just as breathy.

Bo slid Lauren's shirt up, gaining a little assistance from the blonde to remove it over her head. She tossed her bra aside and not a moment later, Bo's lips were on Lauren's chest. Her hand caressed one breast and then the other while her lips paid their attention to each nipple. Lauren tilted her head back, reveling in the sensations Bo sent through her body. With every touch and well placed swipe of the tongue, Bo smothered Lauren's upper body with heated caresses that drove the doctor wild.

With one strong arm wrapped around Lauren's back, Bo raked her nails over soft flesh, leaving trails of light marks on Lauren's skin. Quickly she slid her hand upward, threading through Lauren's golden hair and pulling her in for another maddening, deep kiss.

Nothing sent Lauren's mind whirling like the way Bo could kiss. She had said it since they first got together: Chief Bo Dennis could cure or kill with her kissing abilities. It was like magic and ecstasy whirled together. Her lips alone could make Lauren beg, and Bo always knew the right moment to use her tongue. It was like the icing on the cake, and damn if Lauren didn't have the sweet tooth for Bo and all her abilities.

Bo's strength was quickly made evident when she stepped into Lauren, pushing the doctor backwards. The blonde lost her footing but Bo held her strong against her own frame as their lips remained fused together. Passion carried between them as Bo took another step and then another, pushing Lauren back two steps until the back of Lauren's thighs bumped against the edge of their large office desk.

Bo returned her attention to Lauren's breasts once more, escalating Lauren's arousal through incredible stimulation. Lauren folded, running her hands through Bo's hair while the brunette skillfully explored every sensitive spot above Lauren's waist. The euphoric feelings rushing through Lauren's veins gave her a light-headed moment, further serving to drive Lauren's desires above and beyond.

"Fuck Bo, you feel so damn good."

Lauren could barely formulate those words before Bo's lips were on hers again, this time with more force and urgency. Lauren felt Bo's hand at her waist, working the button and zipper as best she could with one hand. Lauren moved her own hands to help, but Bo had masterfully succeeded with one hand before Lauren could even offer assistance with the fixture.

Without waiting, however, Lauren slid her pants and panties down, kicking them across the room with a swift flick of her ankle. Bo's hand slid gracefully over Lauren's thigh and circled around to her ass, grabbing it and holding her tight as their kissing deepened.

"You are definitely the sexiest woman to ever wear the title of 'doctor'," Bo mumbled against Lauren's lips.

Lauren slid her hands over Bo's covered breasts, trying desperately to enjoy the fire chief as much as she was enjoying her.

"Mmmm, I'll take that as a compliment," Lauren replied.

Bo slid her hand over Lauren's stomach, sliding lower until her fingertips grazed Lauren's center. It brought a quiet gasp out of the doctor, who reached for Bo's hand and urged her to move her hand even lower.

Bo smirked against Lauren's neck, knowing that anytime Lauren moved Bo's hand meant she was beyond patience and officially done waiting. Wanting to please her love, the brunette slid her fingers between Lauren's folds, instantly feeling arousal jolt through her own body as she rediscovered how slick Lauren had become. With a heated need, Bo moved her fingers precisely over Lauren's most sensitive spot, bringing the doctor to breathe quicker and louder. The faster Bo moved her hand, the more Lauren rocked her hips against Bo. Lauren's hands anchored on to Bo's shoulders as her arousal built. Her grip caused Bo a slight discomfort on her injured arm, but there was no way Bo would voice that. This was a moment to shower Lauren with pleasure, and nothing would stop Bo from doing that, even a little pain in her arm.

Bo's playful nips at Lauren's neck grew more fierce and her fluid movements became more erratic. She shifted her lips back to Lauren's, wanting to swallow her moans as she brought her closer to climax. Lauren's moans flowed freely and mixed with partial words of love and adoration for Bo. The doctor leaned against the edge of the desk as she had lost strength in her stance, the pleasure of Bo's ministrations overpowering her ability to stand upright.

Bo's strength, however, did not waiver. Despite one arm being fixed against her own body in an immobilizing cast, Bo's fully functional arm and her muscular legs kept Lauren pinned in place. Her lips remained against Lauren's skin, kissing and suckling against any part of Lauren's skin she could cover. She never slowed her fingers, setting and keep the same rhythm that Lauren synced with. They both could feel the moment building as the air around them thickened with escaped throaty moans, heated breaths, and heightened body temperatures.

"Fuck Bo, I'm gonna..I'm..."

Bo's next kiss matched her fingers in intensity, and Lauren cried out as a crushing surge of bliss swept across her entire being. Lauren grasped the edge of the desk as her last hope of fading strength, knocking the folders to the floor. Papers went flying as Lauren was floating through swells of gratification that rolled one after another after another. Her skin was sweaty and tingling all over. Her disheveled hair half covered her face, and she could barely hold herself against the damn desk, but that didn't stop Lauren from wrapping one arm around Bo's neck and enjoying the continuation of intense kissing the fire chief bestowed upon her.

Bo gently removed her arm from between them and wrapped it around Lauren, pulling and holding her close. She nuzzled into her neck, placing gentle, loving kisses against the doctor's neck just under her ear. She whispered phrases both sweet and sexy to Lauren, giving the blonde time to catch her breath from the ride she just experienced.

"Mmmm, Lauren that was so damn hot. I love it when you come undone like that."

Lauren smiled wide but remained quiet, reveling in the afterglow of feelings still coursing through her. She did allow a quiet "mmmm" to escape, spurring Bo to continue.

"I love you, baby. I love you so, so damn much, and I can't wait to call you my wife."

She squeezed Lauren tightly as she said it, and Lauren wrapped both arms around Bo as she heard it. They remained in that position briefly, simply enjoying each other's company and living in that very moment.

Lauren nudged Bo back a step, allowing her to lean away from the desk. Bo side stepped some papers now lying on the floor, ignoring the new mess they created. Lauren remained in Bo's arms, staring into her lover's eyes with a certainty that no matter what happened in life, their love would triumph over everything.

"I love you too, Bo, and we will start making our plans and thinking up ideas about our wedding, but not now."

"No?" Bo asked.

Lauren took Bo's face into her hands, caressing her skin lovingly as she hovered a breath away from Bo's lips.

"No. Because now it's time to leave our office, along with all the papers that are back on the floor, and go into the bedroom, where I would like nothing more than to continue doing what we have been doing."

Bo's eyes widened. "Oh! Yes, I would much prefer your idea. Let's do that."

Gently, Lauren kissed Bo while still holding her face cupped in her hands. She moved her lips carefully with intention, teasing Bo just enough to render the brunette speechless before leading her down the hallway to where they would spend the remainder of the night.

xxxx


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's Note: Hey Everyone! I don't know where the time goes, and obviously I've become one of those writers who simply cannot post very often - sorry! I'm working on two other short Lost Girl fics right now, so this one unfortunately has taken a back seat. Hope to get it finished quickly because I won't post the others until then._

xxxxx

 _The following day - Sunday Supper_

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Bo listened to the echoes of voices laughing and chatting away on the far side of her home. Her family, including her firefighter family, had once again joined them for Sunday Supper and filled Bo and Lauren's house with smiling faces. Bo made sure to welcome each and every guest as they arrived, but as more and more people poured through the front door, Bo's need for space grew more and more apparent. The crowd made her cautiously guarded, and she mostly stood near the corner of the living room protecting her arm from any potential accidental bumps. She was grateful for such wonderful support from her network of friends and family, but the sudden arrival of so many people caught her off guard in a very unexpected way. Truthfully, Bo felt overwhelmed: overwhelmed enough to take refuge in her bedroom, where she had been sitting alone for the greater part of a half hour.

The door popped open and Lauren poked her head inside.

"Bo? Are you okay?"

Bo knew it was only a matter of time before Lauren noticed her absence. With an apologetic glance, Bo looked across the room to a visibly concerned blonde and nodded.

"Fine hon. Just needed a little breathing space."

Her smile quivered as she said it and her voice was strained. She didn't even know why she tried to hide her feelings. After all, Lauren knew her too damn well to hide anything.

Lauren's concern spread across her face as she entered the bedroom and quietly shut the door behind her. A few steps later, Lauren sat next to Bo on the bed, placing a gentle hand on Bo's lap and offering her silent support. She did not want to push, but after a few moments of quiet with Bo just looking out the window, Lauren probed gently.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Lauren asked quietly.

Staring out the window, Bo said nothing. She feared her voice would crack and her emotions would spill down her cheeks. Truthfully she did not want to talk about it, but she wanted to let Lauren in.

"I'm worried about you," Lauren stated.

Bo closed her eyes, not daring to look at Lauren. She knew looking at Lauren's concern would make her break, and crying would lead to puffy eyelids, and any puffy eyelids would bring forth a slew of questioning from Kenzi the moment she saw her.

"Babe, look at me please." Lauren pleaded, her own voice cracking.

With a deep breath, Bo couldn't deny her love. She slowly opened her eyes and looked to Lauren, who instantly brought tears to her eyes.

"I'm sorry I don't mean to cry," Bo whispered as she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"What's going on, love?" Lauren asked.

"I don't know. I'm so happy everyone is here, but I'm so overwhelmed. I can't take any more questions about how I'm feeling, or how my arm is doing. Like how the fuck does it look like it's doing?! It's been less than a week and I have no idea if it's ever going to work properly again, so why can't people just stop asking me for answers that I don't have? I just can't handle it right now. I...I just..."

Lauren carefully yet lovingly wrapped her arms around Bo, holding her as she let out her frustration and her sadness. It pained the doctor to see Bo so upset, but she could easily understand how difficult this line of questioning could be for her. Hell, Lauren was a doctor and not even she could provide any answers to questions like that. In hind sight, Lauren should have prepped everyone before their arrival. She should have thought ahead to tell everyone to not go down this road with questions about Bo's arm, but it was just something she never thought of.

Lauren had yet to respond to Bo's revelation, but knowing her partner well, she knew Bo did not want her to say anything. She just wanted her support. And so they sat there quietly, together, allowing the comfort of each other's presence to bring about some calm and peace. They didn't move from each other's arms until Bo finally pulled away, fanning herself in the face.

"Whew it got warm in here."

Lauren smiled, brushing a strand of Bo's brown hair behind her ear. Bo's cheeks were pink. Crying would do that to a person. And sensing Bo was trying desperately to move past any additional crying, Lauren tried to deliver a joke that would get Bo to smile.

"That's because you're cuddled up with all this hotness," Lauren replied as she gestured to herself. It was a statement completely out of character for Lauren, which brought a big smile to Bo's face.

"You are definitely all hotness, my love."

Lauren smiled, thrilled to see a smile on Bo's face again. She wiped away one remaining tear and rested her hand gently on Bo's thigh. The peace of the moment was ideal for Bo, and so Lauren let it be just that and sat quietly at her lover's side until she seemed to relax her posture a bit.

"Thanks Laur. Look, I'll be fine. I feel better, for now at least."

Lauren shook her head. "You're welcome. But honestly Bo, you don't have to be fine. It's okay to feel the things you're feeling. And for the duration of this little gathering, I shall divert all further questions away from the topic of your arm as long as I am within earshot, okay?"

Bo nodded, appreciative of Lauren's support. And in perfect timing to interrupt the moment, Bo's stomach rumbled loud, causing both women to laugh with one another.

Lauren stood from the bed and offered a hand to Bo.

"So...would you want to sit here for a little while longer, or would you like to go get some food? Because if we don't get out there, your entire fire station is going to eat every last bite."

xxx

Their house was packed. The group chatter was ever growing. Food was devoured quickly in multiple rounds, and drinks were flowing. Fortunately the crowd remained thoroughly engaged in conversation with one another, allowing Bo and Lauren to slip back into the party unnoticed. Lauren grabbed an empty plate and immediately started filling it up with items she knew Bo would enjoy. Getting food for Bo allowed the brunette to stay away from the bulk of the crowd and keep to the far corner of the living room, where she knelt down to play with Charlotte and some very colorful building blocks.

Lauren caught a glimpse of the two as she slid a small piece of chocolate cake on Bo's plate. The sight of Charlotte handing every single block to Bo warmed Lauren's heart. It kept Lauren's mantra echoing through her mind: everything will be okay.

As Lauren added a few barbecue ribs next to the chocolate cake on Bo's plate, she felt a hip bump into the side of hers. A quick glance to her left revealed her soon to be sister in law Kenzi, staring toward the front door.

"Well look at that doc - guess he decided to take us up on our invite."

Lauren slowly shifted her glance toward the front door to see none other than Cassie allowing Vex to enter their home. He walked directly toward them and smiled as he placed a large container of cookies on the table.

"Hello doc. I'm sorry I am a tad bit late. Baking is definitely not my field of expertise."

Lauren glanced at the container. It must have had over four dozen cookies in it.

"You baked all those?" Lauren asked curiously.

Vex widened his eyes and smiled. "Oh, absolutely not. I bought this lot after I failed at baking the others."

Kenzi busted out laughing. "Amen, brother. I'd skip the baking part all together and just buy them. Or better yet, ask doc here to bake some next time. She's great at baking."

Lauren smiled appreciatively. "Thank you for the complement Kenz, and thank you for the cookies Vex. I was just about to take this plate over to Bo, and I'd love for you to meet her."

"Great. Lead the way and I shall follow," he replied.

Lauren grabbed a few napkins and tucked them under the full plate. She maneuvered through the people standing about chatting and ventured toward the living room. Vex followed, only stopping when they both arrived next to Bo and Charlotte.

"Babe, do you have a second?"

The use of the affectionate term grabbed Bo's attention. Without looking up, Bo stacked a few more building blocks in front of Charlotte and stood up. Before even noticing the plate of food in Lauren's hands, she noticed the unfamiliar face standing next to Lauren.

"Ahhh, so this must be the lovely Fire Chief Bo Dennis."

Bo forced a smile. "Well I don't know about lovely with this bulky thing weighing me down, but yes I am Bo. And you must be Vex."

"Guilty as charged. It is very nice to meet you. I appreciate the invitation to join you all here today."

Bo shook Vex's extended hand with her uninjured arm, glancing down at his exposed stitching and scars. She couldn't help but stare, and both Vex and Lauren noticed her carefully examining the remnants of his accident. Rather than pull his arm away, Vex allowed the inspection of his healing wound.

"It's still healing, but I remain optimistic about it," Vex stated.

His words grabbed Bo's attention. She quickly dropped his hand and replied. "Uhhh, that's great. Healing is great."

Inside, Bo's mind was reeling. _Healing is great_? _What the hell kind of statement is that?_ Bo tried to quickly recompose her thoughts. It was a struggle, for sure. All the attention on her injury was emotionally challenging. She simply wished no one would talk about it, and then here she is, doing the one thing to Vex that she didn't want anyone doing to her: staring at her injury.

"I'm sorry Vex. I didn't mean to stare."

Her apology was heartfelt. Lauren remained speechless, seeing Bo's emotions shift all over the place. It was hurting Lauren's heart to see Bo suffer like this, and she was terrified to say or do the wrong thing. After such an amazing night with Bo, just trying to be "normal as usual," this afternoon was suddenly feeling like a setback. Lauren quickly placed the plate of food on a nearby end table.

"It's not a problem at all, Chief Dennis. I am thinking this stitching, when it heals, could scar, right? So then I am thinking I will extend this tattoo, here, and have it follow the scar line down to here. What do you think?"

Bo watched Vex as he outlined his tattoo idea with his finger.

"I think that would blend in well," Bo replied. "Maybe if I should get a tattoo to cover up my scar too."

She laughed as she looked at Lauren. "Remember our conversation at the hardware store? You did say you were going to get Charlotte some press-on tattoos. Maybe mine could match hers?"

Upon hearing Bo laugh, Lauren instantly relaxed. She smiled as she scooped up Charlotte. "Well what do you think Char? Do you and mama want to get matching tattoos?"

"Too," Charlotte repeated, bringing the group to a round of laughter.

"Perhaps you won't have much scaring at all." Vex then glanced to Lauren. "Not that I am checking out your love, here, Doctor Lewis, but I'd say Chief Dennis has a lot more muscle than I. I bet a tattoo would looking dashing on her."

Lauren raised a brow and smirked. "Who says she doesn't have one already?"

She winked at Bo and smiled, bringing the brunette's smile front and center.

"Well it wouldn't necessarily hurt to get another, right Vex?"

"Exactly, Chief Dennis." Vex replied.

"Please Vex, call me Bo."

"Right then. Okay Bo, where I was going with all of that is, well, I think your muscles are bigger than mine."

Bo smiled and flexed her uninjured arm. "Not too bad, huh?" Bo joked.

Lauren and Vex both smiled. They shared a quiet laugh as Vex continued. "Well this may be a random question, but have you ever strength trained individual muscles and tendons in your arm before moving into compound movements? Excluding adding weights specifically."

"Um, not that I can recall," Bo replied.

"Well if you are interested, I can show you some unique exercises that may surprise you. Something you could practice with your uninjured arm and then in time, and with your doctor's permission of course, you can switch them over to your other arm as it heals. They aren't traditional exercises though; mostly things passed down to me through martial arts."

"Wow that sounds interesting," Lauren blurted out.

Bo agreed. "It actually does sound interesting. I'd love to hear more about it, but how about you get something to eat first and then we can chat more."

"Perfect. I'll just fix myself a plate over there and be right back."

Vex excused himself and headed toward the dining room. It didn't take long for Bo to grab the plate Lauren placed on the nearby end table.

"Chocolate cake? Laur..."

Bo's tone was firm but pleasant.

"I know, I know. I just thought that maybe you'd want one bite. It is delicious," Lauren replied.

Bo smiled, but carefully avoided the chocolate cake as she began to eat a few of the other healthier items on her plate. She did feed Lauren a bite of the cake off her plate though, and Charlotte licked the fork that had a bit of chocolate icing on it.

Lauren glanced across the room, noticing Kenzi and Cassie chatting up Vex. With a moment of somewhat privacy between them, Lauren turned to Bo and leaned close to her ear.

"You doing okay?" Lauren whispered.

Bo nodded. "I'm a little tired but I'm okay. Beyond my emotions getting the best of me, you also wore me out this morning."

A slight blush crept into Lauren's cheeks. "Mmhmm, well you wore me out last night. And I'm sorry about, um, kicking your arm this morning. "

Bo swallowed her bite of food and smiled. They reconnected that night prior and again that morning before getting ready for a houseful of friends and family. And during one of the peak moments when Lauren cried out Bo's name, her muscle jerked and Lauren kicked against Bo's injured arm. Her leg hit the cast, and of course it was an accident, but it sure did hurt.

"It's okay babe. Beyond that moment of tears and pain, everything else we did felt fucking amazing."

Lauren kissed Bo on the temple, lingering a bit longer than necessary so she could whisper into Bo's ear.

"God I love you."

Bo put her plate of food down, wiping her hands one more time before reaching her uninjured arm around Lauren's back. She looked from Lauren to Charlotte and back with tired but loving eyes.

"I love you too. I think we should tell them," Bo whispered.

"Tell them what?" Lauren asked.

Bo widened her eyes and rolled them. "About us. Then we can wrap up the Sunday Supper and send everyone home."

Lauren's eyes widened with her smile. "Oh! Yes of course! I think that would be great. Whenever you are ready, babe."

Bo looked through the crowds of people. "I'd say I'm ready now. Besides, Kenzi will not be able to hold the secret much longer."

Lauren's heart beat just a little faster. Bo's dimple was out in full force, and Lauren could have melted into the fire chief's arms had they stood there much longer.

"I love you Bo Dennis," Lauren replied. She kissed Bo on the cheek as she ended her statement, her lips lingering just above Bo's skin for a bit longer than necessary.

"Mmm, I love you too babe."

Lauren put Charlotte back on the floor to play with her building blocks. The doctor leaned back, standing tall next to her love. Bo looked across the crowded living room before quickly releasing a very loud whistle into the noisy room. It was the same loud whistle she could create in the middle of the fire station and bring a team of rowdy firefighters to a standstill. And just like all the previous times she used it at work, everyone in the room ceased conversation and turned their attention to her.

Bo didn't expect the sudden wave of butterflies that rose up in her chest and tinted her cheeks a pink hue. She was nervous and excited but she didn't show it. Instead, the attention she commanded brought out the confidence Bo typically exhibited.

"Hello everyone."

It came out a bit stuttered but Bo quickly recovered, continuing her speech to the crowded house.

"First, thank you all for coming over for Sunday supper. Thank you, Kenzi and Hale, for organizing this one. And to whomever brought that chocolate cake - thanks for the temptation."

A round of laughter followed her thanks. The house full of guests issued their gratitude in the form of mumbled "you're welcome's" and simple nods of their heads. A few raised glasses dotted the room as well before everyone fell silent and Bo continued.

"So I learned something about myself recently."

"That you love carbs in the form of chocolate cake!" Lambert blurted out, bringing the room to laughter once again.

"Well yes that is true, but no cake for me for awhile," Bo laughed again, pausing to compose herself before she continued.

"I learned that, ultimately, there are two types of fires. The one we are most familiar with is the devastating type: when flames scorch everything in their wake, destroying everything in their path. Those are the types of fires that my station works so very hard to extinguish."

There was another pause. Bo tightened her grasp on Lauren's hand and glanced to her standing at her side. As she continued to speak, Bo never moved her eyes off Lauren.

"And then there is another type of fire. It's the type that all the rain in the world won't stop from growing. It's the kind of fire you'd gladly stand in forever, because nothing makes you feel stronger and more alive than absorbing the power it blankets over you."

Lauren smiled brilliantly. Her brown eyes stayed affixed to Bo's, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to see where this was headed.

"And so because Lauren loves me with a burning flame brighter than any fire I've ever fought against, and because truthfully I couldn't imagine my life without her, I asked her to marry me. And do you know what she said?" Bo laughed slightly, the look of love still awash across her face. "She said yes."

The room erupted in cheers.

Bo raised a hand, quieting the room as she continued. "I actually asked if she was sure, because I didn't even have a ring for her and we were standing in the garage. So, don't ask to see her ring because she doesn't have one yet, and don't ask us about the date because we haven't set one yet."

Bo took Lauren's hand and placed it against her heart. She smiled that million dollar smile of hers, making the doctor blush.

"If you need a best man, Chief, I'm your guy!" Lambert yelled out, bringing the group to a rousing bit of laughter.

"Fat chance Lambert! She needs a best lady, and whomever would be better than moi?!" Kenzi tossed back at him from the kitchen.

"Damn! Okay well Doc, looks like my schedule is now open so you can have me as your Best Man!" Lambert yelled out to the group.

Lauren smiled and opened her mouth to reply, but she was abruptly cut off.

"Fat chance Lambert. I'll fight you to the death for that role."

That voice froze Lauren in time. Sure, there were voices everywhere in her house as she had dozens of guests present. But this voice was different: different because she heard the echo of the one voice she had been waiting to hear from in months. With a sudden glance across the room, all eyes shifted to the dining room entryway to the other woman who had just made her presence known.

Lauren gasped at the sight of Tamsin standing in the back of the room. Lauren covered her mouth with the one hand not squeezing Bo's in a death grip. She knew it was Tamsin, even though her hair was a little shorter and her skin looked a lot more tan. She lost weight too. This was definitely not a hallucination because Lauren was sane enough to hear Bo say "holy shit" under her breath.

In Lauren's mind, she said Tamsin's name but in reality her hand was still covering her mouth. It wasn't until Kenzi pounced on Tamsin with a massive hug that Lauren snapped out of her catatonic stare at what she deemed to be the most profound fashionably late entrance Tamsin had ever made to anything.

Bo leaned into Lauren, who had not moved except for the tears welling in her eyes. "Well it looks like perfect timing for her to finally come home."

Bo's whispered words to Lauren were followed by a brief kiss her on the cheek. The fire chief released Lauren's hand and crossed the room to greet their friend with a solid one armed hug, but Lauren just continued to stand there.

Lauren watched Bo welcome Tamsin home. She watched everyone welcome Tamsin home. She was shocked speechless honestly. She felt dazed. She felt happy. And she definitely felt one hundred percent pissed off.

xxxxxx


	11. Chapter 11

_AN: Continuing on...sorry for typos..._

xxxxx

Bo and Lauren's engagement announcement remained the focus of Sunday Supper, but Tamsin's sudden appearance seemed to throw fuel on an already growing rowdy crowd. The repeated "congratulations" voiced to Lauren helped briefly minimize her mixed emotions caused by Tamsin's poorly timed return. Rather than walk over to her best friend and greet her in any appropriate fashion, Lauren remained fixed in place while other friends chatted with her about weddings, receptions, ideas, and all sorts of things that made Lauren's head swim in a sea of excitement and nervousness.

Bo noticed Lauren's immediate avoidance of Tamsin, and she was certain several others noticed it as well. Bo knew Lauren very well, and she was certain that the doctor was highly upset. But rather than drum up something dramatic in front of their company, Bo decided to help keep the two separated until most of the guests took their leave. The Fire Chief held Tamsin at bay for at least an hour, chatting and planning to resume their previous work out schedule as soon as possible. She talked about everything and anything random that she could think of until some of their other guests started to call it a day. And it was not too much longer beyond that that the rest of the party guests followed suit, leaving just Tamsin, Kenzi, Hale and Cassie with Bo, Lauren and Charlotte.

Recognizing the few remaining guests were considered their closest family, Bo decided to give up on keeping Tamsin and Lauren apart. She excused herself to help Kenzi pack up a few leftovers from the dining room. Tamsin remained in the kitchen, alone, until she saw Lauren near the back patio doors off the living room. With a nervous confidence, Tamsin took strides in Lauren's direction.

"Hey doc."

Tamsin's tone was typical Tamsin. In Lauren's mind, she sounded just like she did before she left for undercover work. There was no change; it was as if no time had passed and the two best friends had not been apart.

To Lauren, however, it was completely different. She tensed at the sound of Tamsin's voice. Hearing the detective confused Lauren; she had heartfelt gratitude for Tamsin's return, but it was wrapped beneath frustrated anger.

"Tamsin," Lauren replied dryly, uncertain of what to say otherwise.

Tamsin shifted from one foot to the next. "So, um, congratulations on your engagement. It's about damn time."

The detective's snarky attitude had always been a part of Tamsin, and clearly it was still present despite her being gone so long. To Lauren, Tamsin's time away did not change that part of her. But Lauren was not content with "typical Tamsin" returning unannounced without any explanation. Because to Lauren, nothing was typical anymore.

"Why?"

Puzzled, Tamsin simply replied with, "why what?"

Lauren rolled her eyes. She huffed out some air and pushed her shoulders back.

"Your timing really sucks."

Lauren bared her fangs with the harsh bite in her tone. Rather than wait for any type of reply, she immediately bent over to pick up a random napkin that had been sitting on the floor before storming off to the kitchen.

Tamsin's mouth hung open, but she was in no mood to back down from this conversation. She quickly followed the doctor through the house, tossing back her own angered tone.

"Hey look, I can't just pick a date and time when I can come back from a job. It's not that simple."

Lauren slammed the garbage can lid and turned to face her best friend.

"Look, you've been gone for months, Tamsin. For months! I've called and called..."

She paused, the quiver in her voice matching the uncontrollable tears, but Lauren pressed on while the streams ran down her cheeks.

"And you just decide to show up at the moment that Bo and I are announcing our engagement?"

Lauren's emotions were radiating enough that Tamsin felt them heavily. This was her best friend since forever and a day, and the weight of Tamsin's absence along with the weight of Lauren's frustration was difficult for the detective to swallow. Rather than get into an argument, typical smartass Tamsin chose to respond with humor rather than with any air of seriousness.

"Well I couldn't just let Lambert take my spot as best man, now could I?"

Tamsin tried to get a smile out of Lauren but failed miserably. Naturally, it only fueled Lauren's anger. The doctor did not smile, but instead, threw her hands up in the air.

"Damn it T, this is not funny!"

Lauren's voice escalated loud enough to capture Bo's attention from across the house, who was saying goodbye to Kenzi and Hale at the front door. She ushered them out and locked the door, excusing herself from Cassie, who in turn, immediately disappeared with Charlotte into another part of the house. Bo made her way quickly toward the kitchen, where she barreled into the room to witness Lauren and Tamsin staring off at one another with rising arguments.

"I'm sorry doc, I have a lot to explain!"

"I don't want to hear it!"

"But..."

"Forget it!"

Bo immediately stepped forth.

"Hey, hey, hey..." She kept a cool tone, not wanting to incite any flaring tempers in the room. She could see the body language of both her fiancé and her friend: tense shoulders, eyes that were shooting daggers, pushed back shoulders. Nope, this was definitely not going to be a calm conversation.

Lauren backed down first, immediately turning to the fridge. She yanked it open, grabbed a cold beer, and twisted off the top before tossing the lid on the counter. While she had several unpleasant statements to make, Lauren refrained from saying anything else in the moment and instead, simply walked out of the kitchen, through the living room and out the back door toward the patio.

Tamsin stood there staring at Bo. She threw her hands in the air, desperate for advice.

"What can I do to fix this?" Tamsin asked, this time with a bit more sincerity.

Bo shook her head. "You can grab yourself a beer out the fridge, and then we will go out there after her."

xxxx

Bo led Tamsin out of the house through the same back door that Lauren had just used. The warm summer air swirled hit her as soon as she exited the house, relaxing her enough to have hope that Lauren and Tamsin could work through this argument. She shuffled across the back patio and stepped into the yard, walking toward the far back corners of the property.

"Where is she?" Tamsin asked as she followed Bo.

Bo kept walking, enjoying the feeling of the grass against her bare feet.

"Well if I know Lauren, she's in the back part of the yard, probably sitting under her favorite tree."

Tamsin kept pace with Bo through the grass.

"She has a favorite tree?"

Bo slowed her walk and glanced to Tamsin at her side. "You really have been gone awhile, haven't you?"

Tamsin remained quiet, unsure of how to respond. It was true: she had been gone for a very long time. She had never cut off communication with Lauren for this long. Ever since they had become friends, their communication was natural and constant: just like best friends should have. She knew her absence must have been hard on Lauren, but she held out hope that her explanation why would get Lauren to forgive her.

Bo continued forward through the yard in between some trees, so Tamsin simply followed. She drank half of her cold beer before they arrived at Lauren's favorite tree, where just as Bo predicted, Lauren sat underneath.

With care, Bo balanced against the tree trunk and slid down to the ground next to Lauren. She had difficulty maintaining perfect balance while wearing the bulky cast, but fortunately she was getting better at it. Bo signaled to Tamsin to sit, and so she did just that, positioning herself in the grass facing Lauren and Bo.

The quiet tension was intense, but Bo was not about to see this argument last much longer than it already had.

"Well since I don't think either of you are going to talk first, I will."

The brunette turned her attention to Tamsin. "Detective, it is nice to finally have you home. Welcome back."

Tamsin nodded but remained silent.

"It has been quite a while, and not a day went by that Lauren and I didn't worry about you or wonder when you were going to come home. We all have a lot to catch up on, so I'll start. Let's see...well Lauren and I are engaged, so that's wonderful. And well, as you can see, I have quite a horrible injury to my arm, and maybe I won't ever be able to work again, so that's not so wonderful. Oh and Charlotte is probably going to grow up to be a race car driver, which could be a lot of fun. And, what else? Oh yeah, and Lauren's been helping Cassie study to be an EMT, so hopefully she sticks with it if she can get past all the gore."

Bo paused, waiting to see if either Tamsin or Lauren wanted to speak. Tamsin stared at Bo, and Lauren simply stared at her beer. So when neither spoke, the Fire Chief figured it was time to push them to speak.

Bo looked at Lauren and with a gentle tone, prodded her to say something.

"Okay Lauren, it's your turn. Silence will not solve anything."

Lauren cast a sideways glance at Bo. She realized Bo was just trying to help, and she also knew that Bo was right: silence would do nothing to fix this. Her emotions were running hot though, and she knew it would come across in a harsh tone.

Lauren took a sip of her beer as one last hope to keeping her cool before leaning back against the tree and looking directly at Tamsin.

"You have horrible timing Tamsin. This engagement announcement was our time, and you decided to steal the spotlight with your arrival. That's why I'm pissed."

Tamsin immediately replied.

"Look, I'm sorry for stealing any of your thunder. I didn't even know you were announcing it today, I swear! Evony told me you left the voice mail message about the engagement and..."

Lauren's eyes widened as she leaned forward and interrupted Tamsin. "Evony? Wait, you mean to tell me that Evony has been checking your voice mail messages while you were undercover?!"

Tamsin picked at the label on her beer bottle. She could tell that was not something Lauren expected to hear.

"Well, I didn't have access to my cell phone, doc. I only got to meet up with Evony every few weeks to check in or else I could've blown my cover. She would fill me in on stuff, and yes, she had my personal cell phone, so she kept me posted about my messages."

Lauren squeezed her beer bottle tighter. The knowledge that her private messages to Tamsin were listened to by Evony infuriated her. Leaving a message about Bo's proposal was extremely personal to Lauren, especially because they did not share that information with anyone else until just a short while earlier. While the upset doctor realized that this information was just water under the bridge at this point, she was still angry.

"Look doc, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being gone so long, and I'm sorry I couldn't tell you where I was or check in with you. And I am so very extremely sorry, to you and Bo, for arriving immediately during your engagement announcement. I really, really had no idea."

Trying to keep tempers calm, Bo once again interjected.

"Thank you for the apology," Bo stated in a very polite manner. She hoped Lauren would also accept her apology, but she knew it was going to take more than that, so Bo continued. "I take it that this must have been a very important case, Tamsin?" Bo asked calmly.

Tamsin nodded. "It was. I actually want to tell you about it; both of you and, um, and Kenzi as well."

"Kenzi?" Both Lauren and Bo said in unison, both with the same curiosity laced tone.

Tamsin swallowed the last sip of her beer and tossed the empty bottle in the grass next to her. She slid her hand behind her neck and rubbed the tight muscles of her shoulders as she took a deep breath. She stretched her legs out in front of her, remaining silent while she searched for the right words to explain things to Lauren and Bo.

It was in that silent moment that Lauren truly looked at Tamsin for the first time that day. The doctor noticed the dark circles under Tamsin's eyes more than ever before. Even the small lines at the corners of her eyes appeared larger now. Her weight loss made her clavicles visually pop. Her baggy clothes were not typical Tamsin. Her foot tapped rhythmically against the other as if she were nervous or anxious.

If Lauren had not known the detective had gone undercover, the doctor would have thought that Tamsin was very ill or unstable. But Lauren did know that Tamsin had been undercover, and while Lauren was not a detective, she had known detectives and police officers for many, many years, and a part of Lauren's mind immediately began to connect the dots. Her mind went into overdrive as recognition of Tamsin's state melded with memories of the past. In fact, her mind raced through so many scenarios that she couldn't even make sense of what her mind was formulating.

As the detective squeezed her eyes shut and appeared prepared to start speaking, Lauren stopped her by spewing a diatribe of her own.

"You hate undercover work. You told me you never wanted to do it, ever. I remember all our conversations about it. We even joked that undercover work tied to free food wouldn't even lure you in. And then one day you went undercover without even talking about it, and I could never figure out why you took this job, or why you never even told us about it in the first place. And I don't know why I didn't put all the pieces together before...maybe it is because now I see you, and I see how different you look, and now you even want to tell us about it...and now all these things are starting to make sense, and...and...Jesus, Tamsin...I just figured it out. Why though? Why would you go do this? Why would you put yourself through this?"

Tamsin bit her lip, holding back her own emotions. It was overwhelming on so many levels. The anger of her best friend, the memories of her undercover operation, the adjustments to adapt to this horrid lifestyle, and then to come back to her life and have to adjust all over again. Her palms were sweating as her tears formed. Nothing about this was easy. She wanted to answer Lauren's question, but her answer was about to open up Pandora's box.

Bo's curiosity got the best of her. "I'm sorry, but can someone fill me in here?"

Lauren spoke quickly. "She was working our case, Bo."

It took seconds to assemble the puzzle pieces. Lauren's reference to the phrase "our case" was familiar to the Fire Chief. The phrase was something they previously had used in conversation, but it had been years since they discussed it. It had faded into the background of their lives as something that happened once upon time, but it also something that they considered over and history. "Our case" meant only one thing: the unfinished case of the fire where Bo rescued Tamsin; where Massimo met his fate, and where one lone member of the terrorist group escaped and had never been captured.

"But I thought our case was closed out years ago?" Bo asked.

"It was never closed out. We just never talked about it." Tamsin stated, trying to maintain some calm in her tone.

Lauren crinkled her brow, staring at Tamsin with a mix of panic and seriousness. "Tamsin, did you…did you find him? The one that got away?"

Tamsin's heart pounded. She rubbed her forehead and blocked her eyes with her hand, hiding the demons creeping up within. This was harder than she ever imagined, but the more she paused and lingered on this, the harder it would be. The detective preferred a "rip off the band aid" approach, but she had a few explanations to give first.

Tamsin looked around the back yard. They were far enough away from the house than no one would hear them. The neighbors' yards were also a good distance away and divided by fences. The trees surrounding them provided an additional barrier as well, keeping their conversation private, just as Tamsin wanted.

"Look what I'm about to tell you goes nowhere beyond us and this tree, deal?"

Both Lauren and Bo nodded in agreement, allowing Tamsin to continue.

"Over the past few years, Kenzi and I became great friends - you both know that. We used to talk about everything, and sometimes she'd tell me things that she probably told to her therapist. Stuff that happened when she was involved with that shitty group of assholes. Stuff I cannot repeat to either of you because of my promises to her, so please don't ask me to elaborate. Let's just say I learned a lot about her fears and I learned a lot about what she went through when she was wrapped up with that group. It was nightmare material, really, and Evony and I worked a lot to find out a way to infiltrate any types of those fringe groups to get on the inside. It took years but I finally got my break and then I went undercover. It was a little rough at first, but as I made my way into these types of circles, which were essentially just like the group Kenzi had fallen in with, I learned the details the depth of what they do and how they do it more than Kenzi ever told me."

Tamsin paused, taking a few moments to collect her thoughts and refocus.

"The stuff I learned, about these types of people, and specifically about this Dyson guy, the one that had escaped, well, there's no other way to describe it beyond the word maddening."

Bo's concern grew quickly. Her voice was strained as she spoke.

"This Dyson guy - who was he? I thought he was just some random guy in the group? Wasn't Mo was the ringleader? Mo was the one that took Kenzi down that rabbit hole."

"Well yes you are right, but Dyson learned well from Massimo. It was clear from what I discovered about him. Guys, you gotta believe me, I was meticulous with my behaviors in all of this, because I kept telling myself that patience would eventually lead me to get the evidence I needed about his activity and his whereabouts. My goal and focus was to bring him in on charges that would put him away for life. I felt it was the justice that Kenzi deserved, and I couldn't rest until I found him."

Lauren took another sip of her beer before speaking. "Kenzi never talked about Dyson."

"Maybe not to you. But to me, she did," Tamsin replied.

"And so you went on this undercover mission to avenge what he, or what all of them, did to her." Lauren's statement was not a question, and not only did Tamsin confirm it, but she went even further as to elaborate on it.

"I wanted Kenzi to have peace. I didn't want her to walk across the grocery store parking lot and always be worried about him popping up and pulling her back into that world. I didn't want her to lie awake at night terrified about him finding her. I didn't want him out there haunting her mind. And I didn't want him out there ready to haunt anyone else."

"Kenzi has been making great progress, Tamsin." Bo stated with a slightly defensive tone.

"Good I am very happy to hear that, but she's probably still going to therapy, right?" Tamsin asked.

Both Bo and Lauren nodded yes.

Bo continued to defend her sister. "Therapy may be a part of her life forever though. That doesn't make her broken. She is one of the strongest women I know. I highly doubt this guy was going to come after her after all these years."

"She's one of the strongest women I know too, Chief. But I just couldn't let it go. I had to do something more to help her. And so I found a way in, and then I got so far into this thing and so wrapped up in it that, well like I said, I had one goal in all of this. So finally, I'm months into this operation and I caught a break: I finally met him in this tangled web of underground crazies. And not only did I meet him but I earned his trust and I learned even more about him. And.." Tamsin took a deep breath and continued. "He filled in many blanks for me that Kenzi never did. You see...this guy Dyson...he knew Kenzi very, very well..."

Bo may have had one arm immobilized, but she puffed out her chest and pushed her shoulders back like any protective big sister.

"What are you getting at Tamsin? Tread lightly here because I'm starting to get really upset."

Lauren remained quiet in all of this, analyzing every word Tamsin said. She placed her hand on Bo's thigh, hoping to calm her fiancé with her touch.

"Look I'm upset too. I love Kenzi like she's my own sister, okay? I went undercover for seven fucking months to close this damn case. I learned things I want to unlearn. I saw things I will need therapy to erase from my memory. And it's just the tip of an iceberg, because I know what your sister went through was much worse. So when I finally had the evidence I needed to bring Dyson in and put him away, well, everything went to shit."

Tamsin's tone was laced with sadness and defeat. Bo felt sick, and she imagined she wasn't the only one.

"He got away, didn't he?" Bo asked.

Tamsin held her head in her shaking hands. The memories were all too much to bear. She tried to say it, but she couldn't even bring herself to utter the words. But Lauren was her best friend, and she knew Tamsin better than anyone else knew her, and so Tamsin never had to say it, because Lauren said it for her.

"No he didn't." Lauren stated.

"What?" Bo asked.

Lauren shook her head. "He never got away because she killed him. Didn't you, Tamsin?"

Tamsin wiped her eyes. Her tears flowed freely, and the weight of the moment wore upon all three women sitting under the tree. Between sobs, Tamsin mumbled her truth.

"He'll never bother her again. Kenzi carried these demons for far too long. I couldn't let it continue."

Nothing in the world could have prepared either Lauren or Bo to know that Tamsin killed a man in cold blood. And while the three of them sat there, exposed and vulnerable from such an emotional exchange, nothing brought them together and healed the frustration of the day more than the heartfelt truth that spewed from Tamsin's lips.

Both Bo and Lauren had minds spinning with dozens of questions: how she killed him, how she got away with it, how she covered it up, what all she learned about Kenzi's terrifying ordeal all the years ago. Neither woman voiced any questions though, and instead, remained silent in the moment to absorb all that they did learn.

Tamsin's mind was spinning with feelings of failure, not to Kenzi, but to her career. She knew the moment she pulled the trigger that it could define her future, but she didn't care. She had lost it, and it this moment, it took every bit of strength to regain a hint of composure in order to speak.

"Look. This undercover case was the worst experience of my life and I'm almost certain I would not have gone through with it had I known everything I know now. I'm sorry I wasn't here for Charlotte's first birthday. I'm sorry I wasn't here when Bo got hurt. I'm sorry I messed up your engagement announcement. I'm sorry for everything I have ever done to hurt either of you. Just know…I did this to make sure everyone who had not healed from that ordeal could finally move forward, and I know for certain that includes Kenzi. If nothing else matters to you, then that is the one thing that should."

An unknown amount of time passed as the shade from the treetops shifted around them. The breeze had picked up slightly, providing them with a relaxing calm that enveloped Bo, Lauren and Tamsin. The silence of the peaceful back yard granted them the privacy to digest what was just said, and that silence remained a constant until Lauren asked one basic question.

"No one knows?" Lauren asked calmly.

Tamsin shook her head.

"Evony, the feds, everyone up the government food chain, they all think it was self defense. I'd like to keep it that way too."

Awkwardly, Bo shifted away from the tree and scooted closer to Tamsin, putting her hand on Tamsin's shoulder as she looked her square in the eye.

"Thank you for telling us. I can't say I understand because I don't, but I will always protect my family, and I value that you are a part of it. You have no worries that I will take this knowledge to my grave."

Tamsin covered Bo's with her own and nodded before looking to Lauren. The doctor's glare had softened, replaced with a heavy burden of emotion. Lauren's own conflicting thoughts and feelings had nothing to do with Tamsin's actions though. Strangely Lauren felt relieved that Dyson was gone forever. Since medical school, she held countless conversations with other students and doctors on why it seemed like the bad guys always got to be saved by a doctor when the good guys were the ones that died on the table. While she was not a police officer, and she was not a fan of guns or murder, she had been around enough scenarios in her life to see how someone could be pushed to making such a drastic decision. This was not a place where Lauren was about to judge or critique. Yes, the doctor's mind loved to rationalize and analyze everything, but in this moment, Lauren simply did not want to know anything more. She never liked that people had to die in the first place, but Bo's statement echoed Lauren's feelings immensely. She, too, would protect her family forever.

"As will I," Lauren stated quietly. "As will I."

Tamsin formed a somewhat broken smile, exhausted from the emotions coursing through her soul. She slowly rose to her feet, leading Lauren and Bo to do the same. The detective and the doctor assisted Bo off the ground before they all brushed off their pants, a habit after sitting on the grass. They all stared at each other momentarily before Lauren pulled both Bo and Tamsin into a group hug. They stood there, they cried, and they held each other like lifelines to sanity. It calmed them all tremendously.

"I promise I will never go undercover again," Tamsin mumbled within the hug.

Bo smiled and stepped out of the group embrace. "Damn straight you won't."

Bo's comment brought a small laugh from both Tamsin and Lauren, easing the moment slightly. Preparing to head back inside, Lauren picked up her beer bottle along with Tamsin's. She slipped her free hand into Bo's, lacing their fingers together. Before starting their walk back to the house, Lauren looked at Tamsin.

"I'm glad your home, T."

"Thanks doc, me too."

xxxxxx


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's Note: I don't really know where the time goes, and thanks for sticking around despite the long delays between chapters. Hope to wrap it up in another few chapters. Thanks all. So..continuing on...hope you enjoy..._

 _xxxx_

 _Late that night_

Bo managed to find a comfortable spot snuggled up against Lauren. Her body sunk into the plush mattress, weary from the long, surprising day. Her shoulder throbbed repetitively, consistently pulling her thoughts to possibilities that may or may not be revealed at her upcoming doctor appointment. Thoughts of doctors poking and prodding morphed into thoughts of Kenzi and her years of doctor visits. Years of therapy and her sister rarely talked about her traumatic past anymore. Or was it, perhaps, simply because Bo never asked? Her questions were many and her answers were few. Thoughts formulated so quickly that none of them made much sense really, and the brunette's inability to slow her mind kept her body in a restless state.

Bo stared at the wall as she exhaled deeply. Her mind rallied into overdrive, keeping the brunette very much awake for what felt like hours. The doctor, lying beside her, recognized Bo's restlessness. She had managed to doze off and on a few times until Bo's fidgeting became a near constant.

"Can't sleep?" Lauren whispered.

"Not at all," Bo replied. "Sorry I woke you."

Lauren tightened the sheet over her body before sliding her hand along Bo's hip, holding her close. "Is this about Kenzi?"

"Yeah," Bo replied. "Like how do we tell her? Or, what exactly should we tell her?"

Lauren lay quietly next to Bo for a several minutes. Considering all the details they learned from Tamsin, and all the ones the detective refused to discuss, Lauren weighed the options. She knew a reminder of anything having to do with her brutal past could be severely devastating, but on the other hand, it could be profoundly therapeutic. However, Lauren was not a therapist and she was not comfortable making a decision that could impact Kenzi mental health state.

"What if I speak to her therapist tomorrow?" Lauren asked.

Quietly, Bo considered Lauren's question. At least a therapist would know better than she. "Well, I don't suppose that would hurt. Do you know who he is?"

"Actually I do. I'll give him a call tomorrow and see if I can grab a few minutes of his time. Now sleep, you need it."

xxxx

 _The following morning_

With a gym bag over one shoulder, Bo exited the bedroom and walked down the hallway. She popped into the dining room to find Lauren and Cassie sitting at the dining room table with books spread out everywhere. Charlotte was in her high chair next to them snacking on what appeared to be some dry cereal.

"Babe, I'm heading out. Tamsin is outside to pick me up. We are going to get Kenz then we are heading over to Vex's studio for that free workout session."

Lauren stood up from her chair and placed a quick kiss on Bo's lips. "Please don't overdo it on the workout."

Bo smiled. "I promise."

Bo placed a quick kiss to the top of Charlotte's head and then glanced to Cassie. "Bye Cassie. See you later."

"Bye Bo. Have fun, and tell Vex I want to come to the next workout session with you guys."

"Will do," Bo replied. "Don't study too hard."

Cassie laughed. "Um, do you see who is my study partner, Bo?"

Bo opened the door and glanced back to the dining room. "Haha good point. Lauren, don't make her brain explode."

"Haha very funny. Bye. Be safe. I love you."

"Love you too."

xxxx

Bo tossed her bag in the backseat of Tamsin's vehicle. As carefully as she could, the brunette slid into the passenger seat and tugged the door shut. She fumbled with the seat belt, unable to make it click with use of just one arm. Tamsin reached over to help her, clicking the belt into place as she smiled.

Bo returned the smile. "Thanks Tamsin. I can't wait to get this damn bulky thing off my arm."

Tamsin nodded. "No problem, Chief. When do you get to take that cast off?"

"Don't know yet. I have an appointment tomorrow afternoon with the surgeon. Hopefully I will get a little more information then."

Tamsin steered the car down the driveway and out onto the road. They headed in the direction of Kenzi's place, enjoying the sunshine and conversation on the way.

"Thanks for inviting me to the workout today. I need to gain back some weight, and I hope this helps," Tamsin offered.

"Of course, but I don't know what to expect from this guy. I only met him briefly but Lauren seems to like him. Plus he teaches martial arts, so that's fun, right?"

"Hell yeah," Tamsin replied.

"Kenz is excited because she wants to learn some self-defense," Bo stated.

"Seems like a good plan then."

"Agreed," Bo replied.

The next few hours definitely proved to be a good plan. Vex was quite the instructor. He taught a few very basic moves that would be used as building blocks. Bo, Tamsin and Kenzi all had very different reasons for being in Vex's studio that day. Bo's mission was to keep her strength and physique, full of intent to get back to work as soon as she was able. Not knowing the full depth of her arm's damage was frustrating as hell, but Bo was determined to get back to work one way or another. Tamsin needed to get her body back in shape. The loss of so much weight included the loss of muscle mass. She felt run down and exhausted after her undercover work, but she also knew that sitting around would never help her get her energy back. Kenzi's focus was purely self-defense. She had taken kickboxing already, and the knowledge she gained from that helped her ease right into martial arts. If any of them had determination for sticking with this martial arts training, it was definitely Kenzi.

Vex's understanding of each woman's reason for joining this private training session helped him sculpt their workouts individually. While they all learned basics together, branching off into some unique moves were also very helpful to each individual and their goals. Two hours of a very engaging workout with Vex had put all three ladies into a sweaty yet accomplished feeling. In fact, their workout was so well received that they set up continued regular sessions with him, and they were all bound and determined to make it work in their schedules.

xxx

 _Later that day_

Lauren sat quietly in the recliner, holding Charlotte, who was fast asleep in her arms. She balanced an iPad on her lap, reading the latest research on cutting edge technology to advance healing in upper body injuries. She heard the front door open then close before Bo appeared, having just returned home from her workout.

Quietly, Bo tiptoed across the room, leaned over and kissed Lauren on the cheek.

Lauren made a funny face. "You stink," Lauren whispered as to not wake Charlotte.

"Haha," Bo replied quietly as she gently placed her gym bag on the floor.

"Have fun?" Lauren asked.

"Yes, but I need to get cleaned up. Think you can help me take a bath? I don't think I can get in by myself without getting this thing all wet," Bo stated while motioning to her cast.

Lauren smiled. "Sure. Let me put Charlotte in her room and I'll be right in."

xxxx

With care, Lauren helped a very sweaty Bo into the bathtub. Bo's movement just to get into the tub were rigid and slow. Lauren could tell the Fire Chief overdid it on the workout, but she declined to voice it. Stating the obvious would only make Bo defensive. Rather than stir up any kind of potential argument, Lauren remained focused on helping Bo ease into the warm water while keeping her arm cast dry.

With Charlotte quietly resting in her room down the hall, Bo and Lauren could speak a little louder in the bathroom without the fear of waking their sleeping daughter.

The warm water enveloped Bo's aching body enough to cause her to moan aloud. "Wow that feels good."

"Good," Lauren replied.

The blonde rolled up a nearby bath towel, creating a makeshift pillow that she slid behind Bo's neck.

"Thanks, love. So how was tutoring with Cassie?" Bo asked as she closed her eyes and allowed the warm bath water to relax her muscles.

"Good. Cassie is very smart. She underestimates her abilities though. I wish she could find more confidence in herself."

"Well if anyone can convince her, it is you." Bo said proudly of her fiancé.

Kneeling by the bathtub, Lauren took a loofa and squeezed some body wash on it before trailing it all over Bo's body submerged comfortably in the water.

"I hope so. She'll make a great EMT. Oh, and I also spoke with Kenzi's therapist today."

Bo's eyes popped open quickly. "Oh. And?"

Careful to keep Bo's arm cast dry, Lauren continued to wash Bo while she spoke.

"Well, he thinks she should know that Dyson is dead and he can't hurt her anymore. Without divulging too much to me, he basically let me know that he feels it would be a good part of her moving forward."

"Okay. How should we tell her?" Bo asked Lauren.

"Honestly I've thought about it a lot today. I think it should be done in her therapy session though, and I think the less she knows, the better. I mean, would it help her to know that Tamsin killed him? Would it help her to know that Tamsin went through hell to find this guy?"

"Probably not. If I know my sister, that will just make her feel worse that Tamsin went through hell because of her."

"Exactly."

"What if we just have the doctor tell her and leave it at that?"

"This is Kenzi we are talking about. She'll want to know how he found this out."

"True."

"Maybe we should ask Tamsin if she'll go in to the therapy session with her. Maybe she can just tell her it was part of the undercover operation and it's over now."

"We could ask her," Bo replied.

"I'll call her after we're done in here. See what she says."

"Thanks hon," Bo replied.

"Okay so tell me, did Tamsin and Kenzi have as much fun as you at the workout?" Lauren asked.

"Absolutely. We all made a schedule with Vex and are going to keep attending. He wants to know what the doctor says tomorrow at my appointment though."

Lauren smiled. She was happy Vex was taking precautions with Bo's condition.

"Good. That means he's a good instructor."

"Definitely."

"Also, I called the station on the drive home. The new fire fire candidate trials are scheduled for tomorrow morning. I was going to have Lambert pick me up and take me, but I was wondering if you could come by and pick me up afterwards? Then we could just go to my appointment from there?"

Lauren thought briefly about their schedules for the following day. She could think of nothing to conflict with it, so she and Bo agreed to a time for the pick up. Lauren recalled the location of the candidate trials with ease, bringing a bright smile to her face.

"What's that smile for?" Bo asked as she relished in the personal bath Lauren was lavishing upon her.

"I was just remembering the first time you took me to that location. Where you are conducting the candidate trials tomorrow."

Bo thought back, recalling fondly the memory of taking Lauren to the shell of a building surrounded by trees all those years ago. They shared quite a night together in that spot. Her smile, equally as big as Lauren's, instantly crossed her face.

"Maybe we can make another date like that sometime," Bo stated confidently.

Lauren raised her brow and blushed. "Just ask me on that date and you're fairly certain to get a yes from me."

"Mmmm," Bo purred.

xxx

 _The following day_

Lauren had parked the car near the entrance of the long driveway and walked quietly down the cracked concrete slab while simply enjoying the peaceful surroundings that the city didn't afford her. The towering trees lining the driveway absorbed most sound, leaving Lauren with nothing but the calm of a beautiful summer day outside the city limits. Memories of her very first visit to this space flooded her thoughts. The ugly reminders of a painful loss when a patient died melded with a tingle deep within her core. It was a night that Bo helped her forget the horrible moments of tragedy by redirecting her focus to the more pleasurable moments of happiness. While Lauren never failed to process the full depth of a life lost, she also had come a long way in enjoying the moments she experienced in life, and a memory like this still pulled a smile to her face.

A few steps further and she heard the distant sound of human voices. She proceeded further down the driveway until the trees parted, giving way to the parking lot and partially constructed building before her. She caught sight of several fire fighters, all men that worked at Station 55. While Lauren arrived much early than she had planned to pick up Bo for her follow up doctor appointment, the doctor decided to keep her distance from the Fire Chief as to not distract her. She walked slowly, keeping an eye out for her fiancé, the firefighters who worked for her, and the candidates completing the timed trials.

Lauren quietly slipped into the crowd of Bo's team of firefighters, garnering smiles from the men and a few subtle waves to acknowledge her presence.

At that moment, the act of eavesdropping occurred by accident. Lauren never intended to hear so much before making her presence known to Bo, but the pronounced voice of the Fire Chief booming across the parking lot kept the doctor from announcing her arrival. Lauren glanced forward, laying eyes on the back of Bo partially dressed in her turnout gear.

The brunette stood facing away from Lauren and the firefighters of Station 55, instead looking directly at the row of candidates competing in the trials. Even with the bulky cast on, Bo still made a uniform look sexy, and it took everything Lauren had not to issue an audible gasp of appreciation.

Instead of uttering a sound, Lauren simply stood there and listened, just like the men at her side. She glanced over Bo: the boots, the pants with the suspenders, and helmet all perfectly in place. No jacket though as Lauren was certain it would not have fit over her cast, but Bo stood tall and proud, her voice echoing the same. Nothing made Lauren salivate like Bo in uniform, except perhaps when she was helping Bo out of the uniform.

The line of potential new candidates stood ready to prove their worth in hopes of earning the coveted empty spot at Station 55. And while all those rookies were facing Bo and by default, could see Lauren and the members of Station 55 but twenty feet behind her, not one of them took their eyes off the brunette as she spoke.

And yes, even Lauren was listening. Intently.

To every word the Fire Chief had to say.

"…I am not here to help you succeed. I am here to watch you succeed. When you are fighting a fire, I need to know you are capable of saving lives. I need to know that if one of our own is trapped inside that building, that you are the person I can count on to get in there and get out, alive. I need to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I can trust you."

Bo stood firmly planted in place. Her legs were stiff despite being covered up by bulky protective gear. Her one uninjured arm was tucked behind her back, furthering straightening her posture as she spoke. Her voice never quivered as she continued her speech to the group of twelve standing before her.

"Part of the drill today is to measure your abilities. This building is about to be lit on fire, and each one of you will complete the drill and be timed. Your scores today will be weighted with the scores of your written exams already completed. I will not play favorites, and I always let the numbers speak for themselves. Best combined score gets the job. Period."

She paused her speech momentarily, glancing over the possible new employees one by one.

"Are you going to do your best today and every day?!"

"Yes Chief!" they replied in unison.

"Are you going to use everything you've learned to save lives today and every day?!"

"Yes Chief!"

Without turning around, Bo pointed over her shoulder toward the current firefighters behind her.

"If any or all of these people standing behind me are trapped in a fire, can you promise me, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you will do everything in your power to save their lives as if they were your very own family?!"

"Yes Chief!"

The response echoed loudly in unison, almost enough to startle Lauren still standing quietly next to the others from Station 55.

"Good. Let's line up!"

The men of Station 55 immediately went into work mode, setting up the controlled burn and getting into position. They each had a role to play, and Lauren stayed out of the way as they moved about the parking lot. Even as she stayed out of the way, it did not take long for Bo to see her nearby, putting a smile on the Fire Chief's face. As the team made final preparations for the trials to begin, Bo walked over to Lauren near the edge of the concrete lot.

"Doctor Lewis," Bo stated.

"Chief Dennis," Lauren replied. "Sorry I am a bit early, but I could not resist watching you in action. I hope I'm not a distraction."

Bo smiled and raised her eyebrows. Quietly, she replied. "You are always a distraction, but the best kind."

"I promise to stay out of the way," Lauren replied.

"You are never in the way."

Lauren blushed. She stared at Bo quietly, absorbing the happiness radiating from her fiancé. Bo loved her job, and it was evident in her attitude just standing among her people.

Bo glanced over her shoulder, recognizing that everyone was in place and waiting on her to begin.

"I guess they're waiting on me, but if you need anything, I'll be the one holding the stopwatch."

Bo winked before walking away, causing an ache deep within Lauren. Still, after all these years, Bo stirred Lauren's libido with just a wink. The doctor was going to enjoy this hour watching Bo in action. She stared at Bo as the fire chief walked away, loving the way Bo's posture commanded respect and attention. Yes, this hour may drive Lauren crazy with desire, but she was definitely going to enjoy every minute of it.

xxxx

Sitting in the doctor's office, Lauren held Bo's hand while they waited for the doctor to arrive. The Fire Chief had changed out of her firefighting attire, replacing it with a pair of jeans and a Station 55 t-shirt. Her hair was pulled up, allowing her to cool off a bit quicker after being outside for the candidate trials.

The Fire Chief was nervous. Between X-rays, ultrasounds and every other test the Chief couldn't remember, she was hopeful the doctor would have some positive update. But truth be told, Bo was terrified of what the doctor could say. She was grateful for getting into "work mode" at the candidate trials, even if she was just able to run the stop watch. But she was even more grateful for Lauren, being with her every step of the way.

Lauren could sense the fear emanating from Bo. Even after the sole woman fire fighter candidate won the coveted open position at Station 55, Bo remained stoic. Her professionalism allowed for a solid congratulations to the newest member of her team, but after that, Bo simply grabbed her change of clothes and told Lauren she was ready to leave. Lauren did her best to maintain a balance between supportive and positive. She did not want to smother Bo and she could tell the brunette was nervous about this appointment.

The drive to the doctor's office had not been completely silent, but Lauren did have to initiate most conversation while Bo was lost in thought. It wasn't until they were riding the elevator up from X-ray up to the doctor's office that Bo expressed her worry.

 _"...I may not be a holy person, but right now I'm praying to every god in the universe to give me good news..."_

 _Lauren did what Lauren did best: she was honest with Bo. They both knew the odds were 50/50, and Lauren wanted to ease Bo's mind but also not set her up for failure either._

 _"You know today, watching you at the candidate trials, proved one very important thing."_

 _Bo looked over to Lauren. "Oh, what's that?"_

 _"That no matter how this injury heals or doesn't heal, you are still an excellent Fire Chief. And even if you cannot run into a burning building, you can still command that team."_

 _Bo smiled. "Thanks hon, but I'm not quite sure the job allows for a Chief who can't do all facets of the job."_

 _"You know what else you're excellent at?"_

 _Bo raised a brow and blushed, while the elevator continued to ascend past floors. "Babe, I know I'm good at that."_

 _Lauren playfully smacked Bo's behind. "I was going to say that you're also an excellent fiancé, an excellent mother, an excellent sister, and an excellent friend to so many. You carry many titles Bo, and none of them should be impacted due to your injury. Period._ "

Bo stared across the room, looking at typical posters hanging on the walls of a doctor office. She was tapping her foot rhythmically against the floor, anxious for the doctor to arrive.

Hoping to ease the worry while waiting for the doctor, Lauren squeezed Bo's hand and asked her about the newest member of Station 55.

"I told you I was cheering for the only lady candidate, didn't I?" Lauren asked.

Bo smiled. "About a hundred times, yes. And as I've said before, I remained completely impartial and let the scores speak for themselves."

Lauren glanced at Bo and smiled, who pulled an even bigger smile from the Fire Chief.

"Aren't you just a little bit excited?"

Bo looked around the empty room, shaking her head with a smile. "What do you think?"

Lauren laughed. "I think you're thrilled, but you just won't say it as to not appear partial."

"Well my dear, you know me better than anyone."

Lauren smiled again. "Ha! I knew it. No worries love, your secret is safe with me."

Bo squeezed Lauren's hand. "Good. Well she fills out paperwork tomorrow and will start tomorrow night with shadowing. I want her familiar with the station before I put her on a truck."

"Makes sense. Well maybe you should invite her over for Sunday supper. She could get to know the rest of your crew away from the job. Hell they all come over every week anyway."

"That's actually a great idea, Laur. I think I'll..."

The door opened, halting Bo and Lauren's conversation. In walked Doctor Miller, holding a thick file in his right hand. He gently closed the door as he offered a greeting to both women.

"Afternoon Chief Dennis. Hello Doctor Lewis."

"Hello," they both replied in unison.

"How's the arm feeling, Chief?"

"Eh, it hurts, but I don't want any pain medicine so I can handle it."

Doctor Miller accessed a computer sitting in the room, rotating the monitor so that both Lauren and Bo could see it. He typed away, accessing some files as he spoke.

"The pain should lessen as things heal, but it will take some time. If you change your mind on the pain meds, let me know. I can get you something mild."

Bo shook her head. "Thanks but no thanks."

An image of an X-ray popped up on the computer screen. Lauren immediately began to study it while Doctor Miller spoke aloud. His explanation to Bo was fairly straightforward and matched how she interpreted the image as well. He followed the X-ray with images taken from the Ultrasound as well. Lauren held her breath, knowing what he was about to say. She could feel Bo on the edge of her seat, waiting for him to give her a final prognosis. He spoke for lengthy minutes, rambling on and on about every medical facet that Lauren knew Bo would never understand nor care to hear.

While Lauren was ready to fully interrupt Doctor Miller and just get to the point, it was Bo who actually spoke up and cut him off.

"Doctor Miller, I understanding nothing of what you're saying. Just tell me...do I stand a chance to heal? Or is this the end of my career?"

xxxx


End file.
